Rainy Days Never Stay
by taxiphobia
Summary: [post timeskip] Determined to kill Naruto, Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. However, upon meeting Sakura, his emotions and feelings that were once lost are returned..[sasusaku][other couples]
1. 3 years later

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter One**

The raven haired boy began his long walk late at night. This would be the first time he would leave Orochimaru's hideout in the Sound. And for Konoha, of all places. But he had his mission, and that was to kill Uzumaki Naruto. "Sasuke…" Orochimaru had said that morning. "Sasuke, it is time." "What?!" yelled Sasuke. "I still have to kill him! He's not dead yet! You said I would!" "Tomorrow," Orochimaru said. "Tomorrow, we will become one."

And that's when Sasuke remembered, the deal he and Orochimaru had made nearly three years ago. Orochimaru would train Sasuke and just before the three years were up, Sasuke would kill Itachi. However, the Akatsuki switched their whereabouts several times, and Orochimaru and Sasuke were never able to find him.

Sasuke knew, that the next day when he woke up, Orochimaru and Kabuto would be searching for him—they probably already knew where he was going. He wanted to test his new jutsus and skills after all, and why not on his old comrade, the one who haunted his dreams and nights? Sasuke had to kill him to forget all of those worthless memories.

Especially after what had happened—the new Squad 7, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai were sent on a mission to retrieve Sasuke. They did not succeed in the mission. They did, however succeed in seeing Sasuke's face after 2 ½ years. He had looked down at them, from the hill above, while Naruto and Sakura were looking passionately and him, from below.

"I should've killed him," Sasuke said to himself, now running through forest. But that nine-tailed fox of his, had told Sasuke that he, "…would regret it." And, he listened. After he disappeared from them, the memories began to haunt him again. Just as they did, but this time, they were far worse.

They were memories of childhood, the pinky promises, Kakashi-sensei, learning the Chidori, leaving Sakura, fighting Naruto in nine-tailed fox form…

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the gates of Konoha.

When he left, her whole world was broken. She wanted to go after him, wished she was stronger so that she, herself could have fought him. But, no. All she could do was cry to Naruto and beg him to bring him back.

2 ½ years later, after training with Jiraiya, Naruto had returned to Konoha to stay. His main mission was to get Sasuke back before the three years were up. It was his promise to Sakura after all. Naruto's return was like a ray of hope for Sakura—finally she could have someone to lean and depend on again.

Everyone had tried to cheer Sakura up. Lee professed his love to her whenever he saw her, and gave her sakura blossoms from the flower shop. Tsunade promised to train her as much as Sakura could handle. And Ino—even Ino—cried along with Sakura in hopes that Sasuke would return. However, when Ino began to like another guy, Sakura was alone again.

She moved out of her parents' house and into a house nearby, to prove that she could be independent, like Naruto and Sasuke, and to prove that she was strong enough to live on her own. But, she was wrong.

It took some getting used to—having to go on missions just to get money for your own food. Yet, Sakura promised herself that she would not give up hope, and that she would grow stronger. That was, until the mission came.

The mission was an A rank one, where Sakura was assigned as a medical ninja for Team Gai. Not thinking, she engaged in combat with the enemy, something that the medical ninja should not do. While she was in the fight, Lee was critically injured, and since Sakura was not able to heal him, Team Gai had to go back to Konoha and the mission failed.

Only then, did she realize how pathetic she was. Sakura stopped going on missions, stopped seeing her friends, ignored Lee's confessions of love, and stopped going outside altogether. Tsunade was only able to train her in the patch of forest behind her house, and during the training sessions, she would also give her food.

Tsunade had warned her the day before Naruto's return. "Naruto is coming back tomorrow—at least that's what Jiraiya said," she said to Sakura after a long day of training. A feeling rushed over Sakura—a feeling that she hadn't had for a long time. Still, her face remained emotionless. "So? I don't care—" Before she was able to finish her sentence, Tsunade had thrown something to her, it was fuzzy and pink. "What is this?"

"A wig," answered Tsunade as she turned around to leave. Just before leaving, she said again, "You might want to wear it. Naruto is expecting the same Sakura as before—you shouldn't let him down."

On the morning of Naruto's expected arrival, after taking a shower, Sakura looked at herself in the mirror.

Her hair, now grown all the way down to the middle of her thighs, looked overgrown and unkept, something that the old Sakura would never let happen. She wore a loose dark blue short dress—the color reminded her of Sasuke—and the traditional black leggings. Almost everything had changed about her—everything except her eyes.

Her eyes, still bright green, still looked full of life, and was the only thing on her that showed that she ever had one. Tsunade would make sure that they never changed every time she visited, for they were a lot like Sakura's symbol.

She sighed at her image, not being able to find the beauty of youth anymore. "Okay," she said to herself, as she put her hair in a high bun and the wig over it. Suddenly, she looked younger again, and just as before. Naruto of all people would never figure out that she wasn't the same person as before.

At that thought, Sakura left her house to walk around town and "find" Naruto.

Sakura walked into the once-familiar streets of Konoha not wearing her blue dress—but wearing an older version of her old red one. That way, it would be easier to find Naruto. And, the sooner she found Naruto, the sooner she would have her shoulder to cry on.

She walked into Tsunade's place casually, as if nothing had ever happened. "Well," said Tsunade, as she stood up and circled around Sakura a few times. "You fooled me." In the distance, they heard a familiar voice: "C'mon! Let's go see granny-Tsunade! I bet she's even older looking now!!" Tsunade made a face, then turned to Sakura and said, "You'll greet him here at the doorway." Then, she left.

"Ehhh?"

Sakura turned around, at those words.

"What?" She pretended to look surprised, and tried to sound just as she did before.

"S-S-Sakura-chan!! It is you!" yelled Naruto, pointing at Sakura. "Look Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya turned his head. "Ah, I see." _So she was able to pull it off after all_, Jiraiya thought.

After finally seeing Naruto again, and a "Good night, Sakura-chan!", Sakura threw her wig on her bed, grabbed a kunai and cut her hair bluntly by two inches, and went to her bed. There, she cried.

There were many times when she thought that people would tell Naruto about how she really had been; Especially when they went on a mission with Team Gai to save the Kazekage, Gaara. Sakura kept looking over at Lee—watching his every move with Naurto.

She knew that all he wanted was for her to be protected, to be safe, but surprisingly, he had not said a word to Naruto about her. They instead, talked about stupid things, like "the magnificent Gai-sensei." She was safe.

Sakura awoke from a nightmare—a nightmare of the night when Sasuke left her and knocked her out and told her, "Thank you." He haunted her almost every night. _When…when will I be free from you?_, Sakura thought to herself, while getting up and staring at herself in the mirror. _It hurts…you're the reason why I became like this…Sasuke-kun.. You're the reason why…_

There was a knock on the door.

"Ugh." Sakura stood up and walked toward the door. It was probably Tsunade. Tsunade had been checking up on Sakura the past few nights since Team 7's mission to retrieve Sasuke. The mission had failed. Still, the image of Sasuke's face, still as handsome as it was before, looking down at her, it was enough inspiration she needed.

She wanted to go back.

Back to the days when life was simple and it was just Squad 7—Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and herself.

Sakura opened the door. "What is it, Tsu—" "Sakura-san?" Sakura looked up. No, it wasn't Tsunade, it was Sai, the new member of Squad 7, the replacement. She just stared at him, as if in a daze. "Ah! Sai-kun!!" She tried her best at sounding as she did when they first met. However, it didn't work.

"Sakura-san…what happened to your hair…" Then, she remembered that her wig wasn't on. He knew. And then, he'd tell Naruto.

Sasuke walked into the gates of Konoha. It was dark and late at night. Surely, Naruto wouldn't be awake. But, if he killed him while sleeping, it would be easier to get it over with. _But what's the fun in that?_, thought Sasuke, as he walked into Konoha. _I want to see him suffer. _He smirked, something he hadn't done in a long time, for the curse mark that Orochimaru gave him erased most of his emotions.

He heard something. A crying sound. It was so familiar…a girl crying. He remembered. The words of Sakura, while crying, and trying to make Sasuke stay.

"Sasuke-kun…if you go, THEN I'LL SCREAM!!"

What a pathetic thing she could say. However, it was her last resort. She wanted to see if he still cared—or ever cared—for her.

Sasuke stopped walking, when he heard the crying suddenly stop. Out of the trees, behind the bench that Sasuke sat on nearly three years ago, two figures appeared. One was Haruno Sakura, and the other Sai.

**Okay! That's it for now! Hope you like it (I tried and worked really hard!!)! Anyway, this is just my first one…so…**

**There's gonna be another one, I'm thinking of killing off someone…hehe. **

**Just review and do whatever you do! **

_Shizuka Ai calm:: love_


	2. His return

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter Two**

He just stood there—not knowing exactly what to do. Should he run away? Should he hide and listen to their conversation? Sakura was crying after all. Sasuke wondered why so many thoughts flooded into him. It was good they haven't noticed him yet…at least not yet. He continued to stare.

Sakura wiped her tears with her sleeve. "I—I'm sorry…" she began to say. "It's just—It's just that…" Her voice had left her again. "Sasuke-kun is…" Sai suddenly turned away from looking at Sakura. He had noticed something. He looked in the direction of where Sasuke had stood. However, he was gone.

"I'm sorry," he turned to Sakura and smiled. Fake or not—it worked. She wondered what he looked at, but as selfish as Sakura is, all she could do was talk about herself. "This is the first time I've confided in someone in such a long time." She closed her eyes and let the cool night breeze lift her hair gently. Sai stared at her, not exactly knowing what to do or say. She was beautiful—with long or short hair, and when he first came, Sakura had accepted him—or was that part of her act?

She had told him about her lies—in fact, she blurted nearly everything out when she first saw him. Then, came the waterworks. When they began to walk toward the middle of town, near the bench, Sakura had stared blankly at the bench. It was where Sasuke had left her; where he knocked her out and set her down.

"Oh, Sai-kun…" she had said, her back turned at Sai, her voice quivering. Then, she turned, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Sai-kun!" she repeated, but much louder, and no longer hiding her tears. "This is the place! I-I couldn't even do a thing! He never loved me at all!!" Sakura yelled. The whole thing felt good for Sakura, as selfish as she sounded, somewhat like a release. And, Sai, a good listener, had looked straight at her electric green eyes intensely, wondering, the whole time, how she could have survived.

…Just as he had.

His brother had meant the world to him. At the orphanage, when they were both younger, they would play together and make promises, or bonds—"…the kind of bonds that you won't want to forget," Naruto had said to him. In fact, Naruto reminded Sai of him, he was so much like his brother. Of course, his "brother" was not his real brother, they were just very close, like the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke.

"Sai-kun…" Sakura sniffed and wiped her face. "I'm so sorry…that you had to see this…" her voice trailed off. "It's okay, Sakura-san, I know—" He couldn't finish his sentence. _I know what it's like…to be alone…to have no one_, Sai thought to himself. Sakura looked up at him, with tears still in her eyes, for she was unable to hide it. She said the words that he had once said to her. "Thank you…"

Sasuke looked down from the trees above. He remembered Sai. Sai had tried to kill him, on Team 7's rescue mission. But, Naruto said some words to him, and Sai had a change of heart. He watched them leave each other in disgust. He couldn't believe that he was ever like that—those stupid bonds that he shared with Naruto and Sakura. "Sakura…" he murmered quietly. His mind made up, he landed gracefully on the ground. "I guess I'll just have to kill her too."

"YAYYYY! RAMEN!!!" Naruto yelled. "Thanks for the ramen, Hinata-kun!" He said, his mouth nearly full of soup and noodles. He was sitting in front of the ramen shop, Hinata beside him. He began to slurp down the large bowl of ramen. "Ah—um…you're welcome, Naruto-kun," Hinata said. Naruto said something in reply, but his slurping was louder than his speech, and Hinata was unable to hear his words.

Hinata's appearace had changes remarkably over the 3 years that Naruto was gone. Her hair was no longer the short bob, but straight and long, the ends of it nearly touching her chest. That was another thing that had changed about her—her chest. It showed that she was already a woman. In fact, while Naruto was away, many men had asked Hinata to go on dates, some even asked marriage.

As much as she was beautiful, Hinata's ninja skills had also blossomed. Although still not as strong as Neji, Hinata could control her Byakugan better, and was now worthy of being called a "true Hyuga." That also, may have been the reason why men had asked her hand in marriage. She came from a noble and powerful family.

Hinata, however, refused every one. Even if they gave her flowers, love poems—she would refuse. There was only one for her. And that was Naruto, the guy whom she, herself had asked to go on a date with her. Although, she didn't exactly use the word "date".

"N-Naruto-kun? Is that you?" she had asked him the day before.

"Huh?" Naruto had turned his face toward her—very close.

Hinata tried not to faint, but she couldn't hide her blush. "Ah! Will..will you…" She looked up. "Will you go to the ramen shop with me?!?!" Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were very red.

Hinata glanced over at Naruto, who was ordering another bowl. _Still, I'm so happy…I finally said something…and then…I'll tell him my feelings…_

Sakura lay in her bed—thinking of the day's events. Now, she could rely on someone else, and not just Naruto. Things were looking better. Before she knew it, morning had come, another sleepless night. And yet, she was happy—truly happy, almost like before. That was, until, the knock on her door. From what had happened, Sakura thought it was Sai. She stood up, not caring that he would see that she hadn't changed clothes, or brushed her hair.

The knocking continued. It was soft and not the same as Sai's. However, Sakura didn't know that. With a smile on her face, she opened the door.

The smile slowly faded away, and her eyes began to fill themselves with tears of disbelief.

Right there, in front of her, stood Sasuke.

As much as she wanted to cry and run away to Sai or Naruto…her body didn't move. In fact, her face remained emotionless, as well. The tears that almost came had receded back into her green eyes, and she stood there, her face maybe even colder than Sasuke's.

Sasuke had noticed that, for a split second, her face—especially her eyes—were filled with emotion. And, then, they left her. Her reaction had surprised him completely. He had expected that Sakura cry, mixed tears of shock, sadness, and joy, and then run into his arms. That was when, he would wield his sword from its satchel on his back, and stab it into her heart, along with the Chidori.

Then she would let out a screech of pain, and her blood would splatter on the ground. He would take out his sword and put it back in his satchel. The scream that she made, would have awoken the whole town, and Naruto would come, half asleep, and he would die as well, from Sasuke's sword.

At least, that's what Sasuke, using his Sharingan, planned. Even his complete Sharingan could not see through Sakura's act. She was crying so much that night just as before, that Sasuke indicated no change.

"_Why won't you say anything to me? Why…why do you always keep so quiet. You never say a single word to me…"_

_Great_, Sasuke thought sarcastically. Now her words were haunting him.

"_You don't remember, don't you…? …The day when we first became Genin."_

Sakura continued to stare coldly at him. She knew something bad would happen if she showed weakness.

"_I know about your past, Sasuke-kun. And, even if you do get revenge…it won't bring anyone happiness. Not even you Sasuke…nor me."_

_Shut up_, Sasuke thought. _Shut up! Shut up!_ He knew that he had said the wrong words to her, that night. He should have just told her that he hated her…or he should have killed her. But he didn't. In fact, he couldn't. There was still that part of him that had feelings toward her. And they were coming back.

"_I-I love you with all my heart!"_

Those foolish words…

"_I would do anything for you…! Just stay here with me…please…" Her voice became softer. "I'll even help you with your revenge…please, Sasuke-kun…"_

"_You really are…annoying." Sasuke had said._

Sasuke suddenly looked away from her. Sakura wondered what was going on in his mind. He suddenly felt a pain—it was so familiar and it hurt more than Orochimaru's brutal training methods.

"_Don't leave!" Tears were streaming down her face. " If you go, I'll scream!!"_

It began to hurt more. His face even showed he was in pain. "Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. She could tell something was wrong, and it wasn't that she showed weakness in saying his name. No…it was something deeper. Sasuke's hand gripped the side of his neck—the side with Orochimaru's curse mark. He yelled out in pain, and nearly fell over.

Sakura noticed where his hand was, and immediately she knew.

He stumbled over, for the pain was unbearable, worse than it had been before. Instead of the pain being focused on just his neck, it seemed to be flowing through his blood, and into his heart and other vital organs. Sasuke tried to stand—now he was sweating very hard—and Sakura moved closer to him. He wasn't able to stand for long, and he stumbled again. This time, Sakura was able to catch him, and he fell on her.

Sakura's heart began to race. They were in the same position as they had been in before, only now they were older, heavier, and taller. Sakura almost fell back, because of Sasuke's weight and height, but she leaned herself against the tree behind her. She removed Sasuke's hand from his curse mark to see what happened.

The curse mark had a ring forming around it. It looked like the seal Kakashi had put on Sasuke nearly three years ago. It didn't make sense to Sakura, in all of the books she had read about curses and curse marks—some of the books only to be seen by the Hokage—she had never heard of a seal reforming itself. _Unless…_, Sakura thought. _That the seal Kakashi-sensei put was related to emotions, and Sasuke-kun's will. _

That was it. Something in Sasuke wanted to be free of Orochimaru and wanted the emotions that the curse mark had taken away back. Sakura wondered if she had anything to do with this change.

Sasuke whispered something, it was so soft that she couldn't hear it. Then, he whispered it again—this time, louder—but still soft enough that only she, and no one else could hear. "Sakura…" He had whispered her name.

**Yay! Done with Chapter Two…I hope it's as good as the first!! A special thanks to the reviews I got on Chapter One. It was my very first fanfic. ever so it means a lot to me. **

**Some even brought me to tears (what I crybaby, I am). Anyway! The next chapter has Sakura taking Sasuke in…but can he be trusted? And, should she tell Naruto and Sai?? (If she does, then at least one of them will tell Tsunade, and that is very bad for Sasuke, the traitor…)**

**Thank you very much!**

_Shizuka Ai calm:: love_


	3. A new begining

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter Three**

Sakura awoke, opening her eyes slowly, as if she had been in a daze. In fact, the whole night was a daze to her. She told Sai, the one she thought could maybe—just maybe—replace Sasuke's place in her heart. But then, he showed up. And, she tried so hard to look calm, instead of crying, but what happened was that he ended up crying to her. He was in pain, she knew that. However, it was not emotional pain—but physical pain.

Or so she thought.

Sakura leaned over the edge of her bed, to look at the floor where she placed Sasuke to sleep. Surprisingly, he was still there, his eyes closed and sleeping. Normally, he would have woken up or done some sort of training. But, that was in the past. _He must be really tired_, Sakura thought. She sat on the ground and leaned in very close to his neck—to see if her seal had worked. It did.

The night before, Sasuke had fallen on her, and she had to drag him into her house. Still in pain, Sakura placed him on the ground, and ran over to her small bookshelf near the door. "There has to be something about sealing jutsus!" Sakura yelled while rummaging through the books. "Ah!" She picked up one of the heavier books that had fallen to the ground. She look a deep breath and opened the book.

"Let's see…" She glanced over at Sasuke, who had suddenly become quiet--his hand still on his neck. "Here!" She found the page, and read it silently to herself. "WHOA!! WHAT??!?" She yelled loudly. She turned and walked over to a shelf near Sasuke, and took out what seemed to be black paint. _I wonder if it'll work with his shirt on…_ Sakura shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking of such things.

Carefully, and as calmly as her trembling fingers could, Sakura took off Sasuke's shirt. The paint needed to be on his "bare skin" or it wouldn't work—at least that's what the book says. Then, she dipped the paintbrush in black paint and painted the patterns that were seen in the book. She chanted a few words, placing her hand over Sasuke's curse mark. The patterns on his skin were sucked into the mark, meaning that it was over.

Sakura gasped for breath—the whole ritual took a lot of her chakra, and Sasuke slowly fell over. Sakura caught him with one arm, took the blanket off her bed with the other, rolled it up and placed it gently under his head. "I guess…he'll just sleep here tonight." She stared at his face. He looked so peaceful, so calm…

Even the next day, she was staring at his face. Suddenly, he made a soft sound, and his eyes began to open. Sakura moved back, very quickly. His eyes, now completely open, looked straight at Sakura. Stunned, she stared back. "Uh…." He sat up and looked around the house. The furniture seemed plain—not at all Sakura's taste. Then again, he could tell, something was different…

The doorbell rang, which was rare for Sakura, and usually meant an emergency. Thinking it was an emergency, Sakura—now dressed--ran to the door, grabbing her wig and putting it on. She twisted the knob, and it opened… "Hey, Sakura-chan!" …and it was Naruto. "N-N-Naruto-kun!" Sakura yelled. Naruto peered into Sakura's house and said, "Sakura-chan…who's tha—"

Before he was able to finish, Sakura had slammed the door behind her. "Eh? Wh-what are you talking about?? Ehehe…" she said nervously. "But, Sakura-chan….what was—" Sakura grabbed onto his arm and began to drag him away from the house. "I don't know what you're talking about! C'mon, take me somewhere!!" "Eh? Ah..okay…"

Sakura looked back at her house. _I hope Sasuke-kun will be alright…_ She looked at Naruto. _It's just that…If Naruto finds out, then something bad is bound to happen… I just hope that he will still be there when I return… _And, sure enough, he was still there when she opened the door. She made sure not to have Naruto follow her and walk her all the way home.

Sakura opened the door, and looked around the house. Sakura looked at the spot where he was when she left. He was no longer there. The blanket that she had used as a pillow for Sasuke was now folded neatly and on top of her bed. Her bed, which was unmade when she left, was now tidy and made. Sakura began to walk around her house.

After nearly three hours of looking, Sakura was getting dizzy, and very worried. "No, please…" Sakura said to herself as she continued walking around, looking for Sasuke. "Please tell me he didn't go." "What?" She turned swiftly around, for the voice had come from behind her. It was Sasuke, and he was standing right in front of her, his expression emotionless.

"Ah..! Sasuke-kun…where did you…" Her voice became quieter. It was too awkward for Sakura. She wanted to tell him, tell him how much she had missed him and how he haunted her so. But her words just faded and became quieter—floating somewhere in the air around them. "I…"

Sasuke just looked at her, still quiet and emotionless, knowing that she was going to say something stupid, again. He wanted to kill her now, but after what she did for him…he didn't know exactly what to do. He knew that she did it out of that emotion called "love", which he lost long ago, the moment his neck had the curse mark of Orochimaru.

That was another thing that puzzled him. The seal that Kakashi had given him had disappeared while training with Orochimaru. And, with the seal gone, he might not have enough strength to defeat Naruto. Especially, after seeing Naruto train to make the "complete Rasengan." If he completed the Rasengan, it may even overpower Sasuke's Chidori. _If that happens_, Sasuke thought. _Then there wasn't any point in coming back to this damn place. I have to go back to training…_ Sasuke remembered something, and looked up at Sakura, who was now arranging the bookshelf.

He looked down at his sword—which was inside the brown satchel—and picked it up. Slowly and silently, he took it out of his brown satchel, and held it in his hand.

"Whaaaaaat?! More ramen? Sometimes, too much ramen is bad!!" Naruto said—more like yelled—to Hinata. "Ah, um…I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied, her face already very red, and just after five minutes. "Hey, it's okay…let's just…" He thought of what they could do. "We could go see Sakura-chan!" he yelled out.

"Again? Didn't you just see her this morning?" Hinata asked. "Well yeah, but," Naruto stretched out his arms behind his back. "You know how she is. Sakura-chan doesn't live with her parents anymore, and after seeing Sasuke…" His voice trailed off at the name. Hinata looked at him, wondering if anything was wrong. He looked at her and smiled. "She could be lonely!"

"Are you sure?!?" demanded Tsunade, both her hands on her desk, now leaning over. "Yes." Tsunade still couldn't believe it. She had to ask again. "Are you really sure you saw him, and you're not mistaking him for anyone else?!" "Yes, I am sure." Tsunade leaned back in her seat, and took out a notepad. "Tell me again, this time, I'll be writing it down." "Alright, Hokage-sama," said Lee.

"Well, I was on my way over to Sakura-san's house, and I was going to ask her to marry me—" "That's not what's important!" Tsunade yelled. _Could this kid really be telling the truth?_ She was too irritated. But, it all made sense now, about what happened that morning. She had received a letter from someone, saying that, "In seven days, war will come upon the Village Hidden in the Leaves, or Konoha, if _we_ don't have what we want."

That was all it said. It didn't even say who it was from or what _they _wanted. Tsunade had no choice but to call in Hatake Kakashi, who was on a very important A-rank mission, to examine the letter with his Sharingan.

"Well?" Tsunade asked him. "I'm not so sure. I've never seen this handwriting before. But," Kakashi felt the paper with his fingers, and put his headband over the one eye that had the Sharingan. "But?" Tsunade began to grow impatient. "I'm almost sure, that some of the fingerprints here…are Orochimaru's."

Tsunade looked at Lee, who was still talking on and on about how "you cannot interrupt the 'bloom of youth,'" and that his "undying love for Sakura-san will never die!" "Alright," Tsunade said sternly. "You may go." "Ah, yes, Hokage-sama!" Lee opened the door, letting in Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice, come in. "Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, after Lee had left. "I'm sure you already know…" "Yes, and we can't afford the loss of another war." She looked sternly at Shizune, the same way she had with Lee. "Send out orders to all of the Jonin and Chunin. I want them all to go on a man hunt for Uchiha Sasuke." "What? He's here?"

"Yes," replied Tsunade. "Here," she said again, tossing the notepad that she had used to writing down Lee's account and how everything made sense. "I also want the two suspects, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura—" "Even Sakura-san?" Shizune asked, a little confused. "But you—" "Yes!" Tsunade interrupted. "But I haven't visited her or seen her today at all!" Shizune looked down. "Ah…I see."

Shizune looked up again. "Is there anything else?" "Yes," replied Tsunade, as she stood and looked outside the window behind her. "I want him alive."

Sasuke held his sword tighter in his hands. He needed to kill her, that was true. There were two options. He could, kill her slowly and painfully, just as he had planned before, but that would attract unwanted attention…and there was something that told him it was a bad idea. The other method was to do it quickly and nearly painlessly, like chopping off her head, or piercing her heart.

It only seemed now, that the whole idea of killing her would lead to more regret.

However, he made up his mind and stood right behind her.

Sakura noticed a shadow blocking the light and looked up. "Ah, Sasuke-ku—" He swung his sword, dangerously close to her. She tried to move back, but there was a bookcase behind her, so she moved to the side, and scraped her knee while attempting to roll over gracefully. All this was, surprisingly, done in silence.

Sasuke turned toward where Sakura now was. "What are you doing?!" Sakura yelled. "If you kill me, then everyone will find out about you!!!" "I don't care," Sasuke said softly, which was the most he had said to her since he saw him the other night. "I don't care," He repeated again, his sword now having some sort of electricity around and in it. Sakura knew it was the Chidori and that he was transporting it into his sword.

The light from the Chidori was now blinding. She knew…what was going to happen. "I just want you to die."

"N-Naruto-kun?" Naruto turned to Hinata. "Yeah, what?" he asked. "Don't you have training today?" "Ah…Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei are on some special mission…" His mood suddenly changed. "…Which I wasn't able to go on! Man, it's not fair!!" Hinata laughed. "Eh? What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"Oh no, nothing." Hinata looked up at Naruto, trying her hardest not to blush or faint. "But, Yamato-sensei is the guy that can control your nine-tailed-fox form, right?" "Huh? Oh, yeah. Only cuz' he's the related to the first or something…and he was also with us when we went to rescue…" "Sasuke-san?" Hinata completed the sentence for him. "Yeah."

Suddenly, a scream was heard. It sounded like someone was dying and full of pain.

Sai looked up from where he was, he could recognize that voice anywhere…

Hinata and Naruto both looked up, as well. "Naruto-kun, do you think…" "It's Sakura-chan!!!" "C'mon, Hinata-kun!" Naruto said as he grabbed Hinata's hand and ran towards Sakura's house.

A certain gray-haired traitor and right-hand man of Orochimaru stood on top of a roof in Konoha. "The infiltration was too easy. "Now…" He looked around. "I wonder where you're hiding, Sasuke?"

Dum DUM **DUM**!!!! (cliffhanger, lol)

**Chappy three is complete! Thanks for the reviews, everybody! (I hope I didn't take so long with this one) This one is also longer than the other two!**

**I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen with the next chapter, hopefully it'll be as good as your reviews are (again, thank you). Once again, I'm thinking of killing off someone, but who? (send in reviews with suggestions, please!)**

**Peace.**

_Shizuka Ai calm::love_


	4. The 5th tail

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**LOTS OF TYPOS (TYPING ERRORS) but, I'm too lazy to fix any…**

**Anyway…**

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 4**

Sakura's eyes were filled with shock and tears. He was going to kill her. He swung his sword. Then, she knew it. She was dead. Sakura was dead, from her point of view. In reality, Sasuke had used his new Sharingan genjutsu that Orochimaru had taught him, and once used on him and Sakura. She was seeing death.

Sasuke stared at her coldly. She was hunched over, in so much pain, in the corner of her own house. He was a bit surprised that his genjutsu worked on her—it didn't on Naruto. He thought it was because Naruto had stared into his eyes many times before, then again, so did Sakura. Why was it working on her? What was going on in her mind? She screamed again, this time screaming his name, and the front door of her house fell down. Sasuke looked over. This was exactly what he was planning. The trap would lead Naruto in and then he would kill him.

"SAKURA-CHAN!!" Naruto yelled, then he looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke smiled—a curled smile—and wielded his sword. Electricity came from it. Naruto remembered the attack. It was deadly and nearly killed Yamato on their mission to rescue Sasuke.

"Why you—what do you think you're doing!?" Naruto yelled, his eyes turning red.

"Heh, show me what you've learned," Sasuke held his sword higher. "I want to see if your new training did anything."

A red aura appeared around Naruto, then a first and second tail…then a third. And finally, came the deadly fourth tail. The power was so much, that when the fourth tail appeared, it ate away at his skin, and he had lost all control. The fourth tail had appeared twice before—once while training with Jiraiya. Jiraiya was nearly killed while trying to control and calm Naruto down.

The second time was on the rescue mission with Yamato, Sakura, and Sai. He saw Orochimaru, standing right there in front of him, and was caught in a fit of rage, which resulted in the second release of the fourth tail.

"_Where's Sasuke?!? What the hell did you do with him?!? Where are you hiding him?!" _At those words, the fourth tail appeared. Luckily, Yamato and Sakura were there. Yamato was able to reseal the demon-fox. And Sakura, was able to heal his wounds, even though Naruto had, unconsciously, hurt her. When asked what happened, Naruto couldn't remember a thing.

Blue and red chakra filled the room. It looked beautiful—but the power was terrifying. From her corner, Sakura had felt it too, and she awoke from her trance. "What's going on..?" She said, quietly to herself, while rubbing her head. _Ah…I'm not dead? What is…_ She looked up at the huge amount of chakra she felt. "Sasuke…? Naruto…?" She sat up, unable to move much.

She looked at Naruto, who looked like he was going to kill everything in sight; then at Sasuke, who had a cold smile. _They don't…they don't know what they're doing. Naruto's going to kill him. _"Naruto's going to kill him…" She mumbled. "Ah!" Suddenly, she was able to move, and realized just what was going on.

"Naruto-kun!" She screamed, as she ran to where the fight was. Naruto looked at Sakura, who seemed to be running towards him, with his red eyes. Then, he released the fourth tail, completely, which caused him to look more like a monster, than a human. The red chakra hurt Sakura, and she was pushed back. Sasuke, however, stood his ground.

"Sasuke-kun!! You have to go!" Sakura yelled over the sound of a house being destroyed. She repeated it again, "You have to—" Something large and wooden, probably from the roof of her house, had fallen on her head. She was blacking out. More and more fell on her, and she fell to the ground.

Kakashi and Yamato were running on the roofs of Konoha. "They said Sakura's house, right?" asked Kakashi, while removing his forehead protractor that covered his one eye—unleashing the Sharingan. "Yeah," answered Yamato, while looking down at Konoha. "Do you see anything?" "I see…"

"Kakashi-sensei! Yamato-sensei!" yelled Hinata, as she ran toward them. They stopped running. Hinata gasped for breath—she had been running for a long time. "I was looking for you…" her voice trailed off. "What's wrong, Hinata?" asked Kakashi, calmly. "It's—It's Naruto-kun…he's…"

"What's wrong with him?" asked Yamato, hoping that the worst hadn't happened. "Ah…we saw Sasuke-san at Sakura's house. And…he went after him." "What?!" yelled Yamato, now knowing that the worst had happened. "Calm down, Yamato," Kakashi said. "We can't just pressure that _that _happened." Yamato looked down, worriedly. "Now Hinata, you should go with the other Chunins of your squad," Kakashi said. "Alright," replied Hinata, as she ran off.

Kakashi watched Hinata run off, out of eyesight. "Let's go," he said. "You just didn't want her to get worried…didn't you?" said Yamato, when they began to run on the roofs again. "Something like that." "Th-There it is!" yelled Yamato. "Yes, I can even see it without my Sharingan."

Sasuke swung his sword at Naruto, it cut off some of his skin. "You're still weak," he said. "Sa…su…ke…" Naruto said, his skin healing itself. "Hm?" _So, this must be the nine-tailed fox that's been living inside him. It's incredible_, thought Sasuke. _He isn't even on the ninth tail yet. _"Looks like this will take a while." Sasuke heard a soft voice from behind him. He used his Sharingan to see what it was.

"Sasuke-kun…" It was Sakura. She was still alive, for some reason, buried under the debris. "Why…" Her voice wouldn't leave him again. It was just like before, when she took him in, and held him in her arms. He felt safe, then. She was like the mother that he never had…no, she was more than a mother to him. She was…

"_Why did you try to kill me?"_ "Ah--!" Sasuke clutched the side of his neck. It was hurting again. What was the point of it? The curse mark was supposed to make him stronger. Yet, it had been more of a handicap, even when training with Orochimaru. And, around these people, the pain seemed to get worse.

Especially, around Sakura.

Sasuke grabbed the side of his neck harder—if the pain didn't stop then he wouldn't be able to fight Naruto. Sasuke fell on his knees, for it hurt so much.

"_It is bound by your emotions…If your will ever breaks, then the seal will eat you up."_ Those were Kakashi's words from those years ago.

"Dammit, Kakashi…"

"NOW!!" yelled Naruto. He had his claws grown with chakra, and wanted to chop Sasuke into pieces with them. Sasuke looked over at him. This wasn't the real Naruto, or at least not the same one. The real Naruto would have gone easy on him, and talked to him more…he would have used words as a weapon. He would never have thought of killing Sasuke.

Then again, it was the same with Sakura. She had changed too, her stare was cold, her personality less happy, and her eyes emotionless. Sakura…why couldn't he stop thinking about her? It was always in times of danger…

She opened her eyes, slowly, and looked through the rubble and debris. The red aura had gotten bigger, and the blue one was gone. "Sasuke-kun…" She tried to move some of the debris above her. Most of them wouldn't budge. Sakura tried punching it, but for some reason, most of her chakra was drained, and she wasn't able to direct chakra to her fist. Then, she remembered that the last time she came in physical contact with Naruto's nine-tailed fox form, the wound would drain her chakra.

She looked at the wound on her arm. It was him, alright. _If that happens to Sasuke-kun…_ She looked at Sasuke, who was kneeling on the ground, it looked like he was kneeling to Naruto. _He doesn't know…I have to do something…_ Some of the debris that was on top of her moved, and was lifted away. More and more, she could see the sky—for her whole house had been destroyed, and they were now outside. Sakura looked up. Looking down at her, was Sasuke.

He had crawled over in pain, it seemed, just to save her. And also, so that his pain would go away. However, upon looking at her and her bright green eyes, the pain got stronger. His face showed that he was in pain, and he held the curse mark with his left hand. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, as he held out her arms to help him.

He noticed the smell of burning flesh and looked at her arms. They had ugly scars and marks. A small twig fell on it from above, and seemed to dissolve one it had landed on her arm. Sakura winced. Sasuke turned around to look at Naruto. He was going to kill the both of them. Sasuke was weak from the mark.

"Sasuke-kun, behind you!" yelled Sakura. Sasuke leaped into the air, holding his neck. He looked down at Sakura, thinking of what to do. They both felt it—and looked in the direction of Naruto. He was growing the fifth tail. "What is that?" Sasuke said to himself as he landed. He looked at Sakura. He could just leave her there to die…but… "C'mon," Sasuke said, holding out his hand.

Sakura looked at him surprisingly, stunned. "We have to go!" he yelled. _'We'…_ She took his hand and he began to drag her, while leaping as ninjas do. "Ow," Sakura said, softly. It was her arms. Sasuke took her, and put her on his back—looking like a piggy back ride—and leaped away.

A huge fire erupted, shortly after leaving, where Sakura's house once was. "Naruto-kun…" Sakura murmured. _He's not dead; I know he's not dead. Naruto-kun isn't the type to just die. _She leaned a bit more on Sasuke, for comfort. _Neither is Sasuke-kun._

Sasuke was surprised that Sakura hadn't said a word or complained. It wasn't like her. She would have said something about leaving Naruto behind…or, maybe she just didn't know where exactly Sasuke was taking her. And, that was the case. He was planning to leave Konoha with her, so that the curse mark's pain would ease. It always seemed to ease with her around. He wondered why.

He stopped moving at Konoha's gates. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked. He put her down and stared at the person in front of him. Sakura did so as well. "Kakashi-sen--!" Before she was able to finish her words, Sasuke had grabbed her and held a kunai to her neck. He cuffed her mouth with his hand. There were muffled yells and words, none clear enough to hear. "Let me pass or she dies." Sakura's eyes grew wide.

"I knew that you'd come here…but never with Sakura." Kakashi fastened his head band. "What are you planning, exactly?" Sasuke didn't move or make a sound. "Alright, I'll let you go…if you let Sakura stay." The air was so still around them.

"But that would make me a traitor too, wouldn't it?" Kakashi made the hand signs for Chidori and put both his hand toward the ground. Sasuke moved back, knowing that he couldn't fight. Naruto had drained his energy. "Chidori!" yelled Kakashi, as the bolt of lightning surged toward Sasuke.

A gray-haired shinobi appeared in the middle of Kakashi and Sasuke and blocked the attack with his own._ What?!_, thought Kakashi. He turned around and looked at Sasuke. "Orochimaru-sama is waiting for you."

**End of chapter 4! Sorry, if you hate cliffhangers…but the whole point of them is to keep people excited about the next one, right?**

**The next chapter has Sai meeting up with a bruised Naruto and other familiar faces, as they go on a desperate search for Sakura, as Tsunade orders. O yeah, and the fight between Kabuto and Kakashi.**

**And what is Sasuke planning to do with Sakura? Don't worry, the next one will be out soon!**

**R&R**

_Shizuka Ai calm::love_


	5. Encounter in the forest!

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 5**

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked, his hand still covering Sakura's mouth. Kabuto turned around to look at him. He repeated his words. "Orochimaru-sama is waiting—" "Tell him I'm not going back!" Sasuke nearly yelled. His reaction surprised both Sakura and Kakashi. "I'm not going back," he said more calmly. "…Until I kill Itachi."

Kabuto looked around. "Then, why did you come here? This place is worthless, and the ninja here are weak…Unless…" Kabuto turned toward Sasuke. "This has something to do with Naruto, doesn't it?" Sakura looked up at Sasuke. "And that girl," Kabuto said while looking at Sakura. _Me?_, thought Sakura.

"It has nothing to do with her," Sasuke said calmly. Kakashi moved forward. "Isn't this a surprise—Kabuto—I haven't seen you in a few years. He made quick hand signs and had both of his hands near the ground. "What are you doing?" asked Kabuto, cautiously and slowly. "Sasuke," Kakashi said. Sasuke looked at him. "I'll let you go and do whatever it is you want…if you don't go back to Orochimaru."

"Heh, I won't." His grip began to loosen on Sakura. "What?! What are you—" Kabuto yelled. "If you don't come back, Orochimaru-sama will surely—!" "I couldn't care less," Sasuke said coldly, as he released Sakura completely from his grip. "Sasuke-kun…" her voice was low and soft. She had no idea what was going to happen to her or what was going on. He lifted her up and carried her on his back.

"Why are you taking her?!" Kabuto demanded. "She'll just get in the way of your mission! And you…" He turned to Kakashi. "How can you let Sasuke get away with this!" Kabuto noticed that Kakashi wasn't looking at him, but at something behind him. He turned around to see Sasuke leaving Konoha, with a bag and Sakura on his back. "Why you…YOU TRAITOR!!"

"Chidori!" Kakashi yelled, finally being able to release his attack, which he had been charging.

Her eyes had been closed for a while now, and she opened them to see a beautiful array of trees around her—and they were moving fast. In fact, what was moving was Sasuke. Sakura had fallen asleep, a few hours ago, and she didn't move when he awoke. She didn't want to wake up from this dream again. The dream when he would be so close…and yet, she could never find him. She also didn't want to break the silence. She wanted to stay like that, being able to lean on him…

Sasuke noticed that she had woken up, and began to move closer to the ground. When he had reached the ground, he stopped, and set her gently down. Sakura looked around. She didn't know where they were. In a forest, but because she had fallen asleep, Sakura wasn't able to pay attention to the surroundings as she did on those old missions. To her, they were lost.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked, standing up and looking at the tall trees above. There was no answer. The only sound that was heard was the sound of birds chirping from above. She looked at Sasuke. She was afraid that if she asked, 'Why are you taking me with you?', that she would wake up, and go back to having no one. "Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke looked up from looking through his bag. Then, he looked back down. "You want to know why you're here…" he said. "Ah, um…yes." Sasuke looked up again, this time looking straight at Sakura, who had been sitting on a tree stump. "It's because…"

The light glistened through the trees from above. A small ray of sunlight shone upon her face. It made her look like a beautiful angel, an angel that could help him conquer his darkness. The wind began to blow at a perfect angle, blowing her long hair to her side. Her fingers moved some of her hair from her face. He began to focus on her eyes…those eyes…

Sasuke was forced to look away, the light that shone on her had become to bright. Then, he looked down at his back. "It's none of your business," he finally said. As Sakura looked at him, her head tilted to the side slightly, wondering what was going on in his mind.

The sound of running and panting for breath was heard. The running suddenly stopped, but the panting continued. "This is it! Sakura-san's house!" yelled Sai. He looked at the destruction which had happened, earlier. "I'm too late…" _I only heard her scream and…_ "Ngh…" The sound had come from behind some debris. "Sakura-san? Is that you?" Sai asked, as he walked towards the debris and looked over. It wasn't Sakura.

It was Naruto and Yamato. Naruto had bruises all over him, and blood tricked down his mouth. He opened his eyes slightly. "Whoa…where am I? What happened?" he said softly. Sai knew. He must have turned into that _thing_ again, the Kyuubi. However, last time, Sakura had helped Yamato heal him. "I came just in time," Yamato mumbled, his hands a few inches above Naruto's chest.

"Yamato-sensei.." Sai said softly. Yamato looked up. "Oh Sai, I didn't know you were there—" "Where's Sakura-san?" Sai interrupted. "Ah…" Yamato looked back down at Naruto, his hands glowing with concentrated chakra. "She's…" "What happened?! I just saw her a few days—" "Well…you heard her scream, didn't you?" Yamato asked. "I did."

"It was Sasuke…you remember him, right?"

Sai remembered. Sasuke was that guy that was said to look and sound like him, but they didn't seem alike at all, from his point of view. When he had infiltrated Orochimaru's lair, Sasuke demanded Orochimaru to teach him a new jutsu for his "revenge." He was the one with the bad attitude and language. Kabuto had told him that all Sasuke did when he wasn't training and learning new jutsus was sleep and lie on his bed in his room.

Danzou's orders were to kill him, and the best and easiest time was in his sleep. That was Sai's main mission. However, he had underestimated Sasuke, and he was not able to kill him. When Naruto had learned about this, he had talked some "sense" into Sai, just as he talked sense into everyone else.

Sasuke was also the guy that made Sakura cry. She had seemed so strong, especially when she and Naruto had seen Sasuke after those years. Naruto had even told her that he "was worried about Sakura-chan." He told Sai that it was because of Sasuke.

"_I'm worried about her…" "Who?" _

"_Sakura-chan." _

"_Oh, that hag?" Naruto smiled at those teasing words._

"_Yeah. I told everyone I know I'm worried about her, and every time I did, they'd look at me with this face and say that there's no point in worrying…" He looked at Sai. "I don't get it, do you?" _

"_No, not really," Sai had said, not really listening to what Naruto was saying._

"_It's like, something happened while I was gone…and they're hiding something…"_

Sai understood now, what it was. She loved him so much, that when he left, her whole world was torn apart. "Yeah, I remember him," Sai said to Yamato.

"He's here…or at least he was…" Yamato looked at Sai to see if he had any remark, or anything he wanted to say, but Sai, being a good listener, was just listening intently, while looking at Naruto. "Well, Sakura saw him and took him in—for some reason—and then he ends up wanting to kill her. That's when you heard her scream." "What? Is…Is she alright?!?" Sai yelled. Yamato jumped back a little, it surprised him that Sai cared about Sakura this much.

Yamato sighed. "Hold on let me finish…Naruto comes in to save her, he heard her scream too, but he ends up releasing the fifth tail. Then, Sakura and Sasuke run off together." Yamato finished healing Naruto, and moved his hands away from Naruto, who's eyes were closed again. "Right now, Konoha's on this big search for Sakura _and _Sasuke."

"Why Sasuke, as well?" asked Sai. "That's Anbu top-secret information…" Yamato looked at Sai. "I might as well tell you, it'll probably leak out soon…If we don't return Sasuke to the Sound," his voice was serious now. "They're going to declare war." Yamato looked down at Naruto. "I just hope he doesn't find out. Sai, don't tell him about any of this, especially the parts about Sakura, because he most likely doesn't remember."

Naruto's eyes opened slowly. "Sasuke…" Yamato and Sai's eyes both widened. Did he remember? Naruto sat up and rubbed his head. "Hey, where am I?" There was a sigh of relief. He looked around. "Am I outside or inside? What's with all of this stuff?" he asked, referring to the debris around him. "It's like," he continued to rub his head. "I had a nightmare. Sasuke…and Sakura-chan…!" Naruto stood up, suddenly.

"I-It wasn't a dream! That's why you're here!!" Naruto exclaimed. _He remembers?_, thought Yamato. Yamato and Sai both stood up, as well. "That means…Sasuke and Sakura-chan…" He began to run away. "Naruto!" yelled Yamato and Sai in unison. "Shit," said Yamato. "Sai, you go after him. Make sure he doesn't leave Konoha. I'll go file a report to the Hokage." "Alright," said Sai.

Kakashi moved his forehead protractor over his one eye. "Where did he go?" he said to himself. "There's no way the Chidori could have blown him off that far…" _I'm surprised it sent him flying. Hmm?_ Kakashi looked at where he heard his name being called. "Kakashi-sensei!" It was Naruto, and he was alright.

"Oh, Naruto. What's up?" asked Kakashi. "Have you seen Sasuke? Or Sakura-chan?! Please tell me!!!" Kakashi's one eye had widened a bit. "Ah, so you remember…" A voice was heard in the distance.

"Naruto!" Sai yelled. "Hm?" _Why is Sai—_ "Argh! Stop following me!" yelled Naruto, and he began to run off again. Kakashi watched as Sai ran past him. "Wait!" yelled Sai.

"Does everyone have their orders?" Tsunade said to Shikamaru's squad and Kurenai's squad. "Yes!" they both said in unison. "Alright, then…Eh?" Tsunade saw a large cloud of dust coming straight towards them. "Go awaaaaaaaaay!" _I know that voice..._, thought Tsunade. "Naruto!" she yelled. The two squads turned around.

"I'm going to find them by myself!" Naruto yelled to Sai. "Wait! You don't understand! This isn't a game!" yelled Sai. "Oh look, it's Sai." Said Ino happily. "Ino, I think…" Shikamaru started to say. "Ah!" Tsunade realized what was going on. "CLOSE THE GATES!" she yelled. "Don't let him out of Konoha!" "Ah…yes.." said the gatekeeper, as he began to close the gates. "No, wait!" yelled Naruto.

Sasuke started the fire. It was already sunset, and they barely said anything to each other. He took a large loaf of bread from his bag and split it in half. "Here," he said to Sakura, holding out his right arm which had the half of bread. "Ah, thanks," she said, taking the piece of bread and eating it. "Do you think there's enough?" asked Sakura. Sasuke looked at her. "Food, I mean," she said quickly and while looking down, for she had blushed at his stare.

"We'll buy supplies in the next town," he replied. "You have money?" asked Sakura. "Yeah." The wind blew and there was an awkward silence. They finished their share of the bread, and both stared at the flames from the fire, thinking._ This fire isn't anything like his katon…_, thought Sakura. _I wonder if there are people searching for us_, thought Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, her eyes still focused on the fire. Sasuke looked at her. "I still remember what you told me…and I know now, what it's like to be alone." For a reason she could not explain, her eyes began to water. "I know this sounds childish but…for me…"

"_Not being with you is the same as being alone."_ Those were her same words as when he left her…

There was a rustle in the trees above. Sasuke and Sakura looked up. "Well, well, if it isn't Uchiha." Up in the trees stood team Gai—Neji, Lee, Tenten, and Gai. Sasuke stood up. "Look's like we found them," said Tenten.

**It's over. Hahahahaha. Chapter 5 complete. (the chapters keep getting longer!)**

**A special thanks to all of those reviews and those who posted the reviews. THANK YOU SO MUCH! **

**I'm not so sure if anyone noticed Shikamaru's name (when it says "Shikamaru's squad.") Well, it's because Asuma, their sensei, dies in the manga. So, I'm keeping Shikamaru the leader for now, until we see what happens in the manga. (I also didn't want to go into detail). Sorry, if this was a spoiler.**

**Next chapter: Team Gai go against Sasuke and Sakura, Tsunade tells them about the war, and Sai realizes his feelings! **

**Be patient.**

_Shizuka Ai calm::love_


	6. A trick within a trick

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**SPECIAL THANKS: To Sam, for introducing me to fanfiction. I'm obsessed now. You've done your job well. Also, to all of the reviews I've been getting…**

**Oh, and I apologize in advance if there are typos. My spelling and grammar check doesn't work. **

**Let's begin…**

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 6**

"I did not know that when Hokage-sama said to find a kunoichi with long, pink hair that it would be you, Sakura-san," Lee said, as he leaped down gracefully from the tree. "Lee-san…" Sakura's voice trailed off. "Hokage-sama wants you back in Konoha. That is our mission and our orders." Her expression suddenly changed. How dare she decide for her? For the past 2 ½ years, Tsunade had been doing everything for Sakura, never allowing her to truly be alone like Naruto and Sasuke.

"I'm not going back," Sakura said coldly, her eyes like piercing ice. "I don't really understand any of this," said Tenten, as she and Neji both jumped down. "Tsunade-sama acted like this was an S-rank mission." She turned to Sasuke. "But all I see is Konoha's number 1 traitor trying to kidnap Sakura." "That's right!" exclaimed Lee. "Why are you taking Sakura-san with you?!"

"That's really none of your business," Sasuke said coolly. Lee twitched at the fact that Sasuke was still cool. He acted tough, but was he really all that strong? Lee suddenly leaped forward followed by a powerful spinning kick, with both of his legs in succession. "Lee, wait!" yelled Gai.

_Sharingan! _Sasuke's pupils turned red. He couldn't duck from the attack—one of Lee's legs were low enough to hit him even if he ducked. Then, Sasuke realized, as powerful as the attack looked and felt, it was nothing he couldn't handle. He moved down—as if to duck from the attack. _I've got him now!_, thought Lee. "Konoha Gōriki Senpū" (Leaf strong whirlwind)

Sasuke smirked. He grabbed Lee's bottom leg, which was about to hit his head, and spun and threw Lee into one of the trees, his hands showing a hint of electricity. "Lee!" Gai ran over to where he was. "Lee, are you alright?" "G…Gai-sensei." Gai turned toward where Sasuke was. Sasuke's face was emotionless, and had a slightly bored expression. _Darn it, Kakashi. Why'd you have to teach this kid the chidori? Didn't you know what he'd become one day…? _He stood up. _How'd you let him get away?_

"You little punk," Gai-sensei said. "I'll personally—" He was cut off by Lee's words. "Gai-sensei. This is my battle. For Sakura-san…she is…" He turned his bruised face toward Sakura. Sakura made eye contact with him, and immediately came to regret it. His face was filled with compassion for her. Something she hadn't seen from anyone in a long time. She quickly turned away. "She is special to me."

Her eyes widened, and she shut them tightly, trying to hold the tears back—the tears that she had been holding back for nearly 3 years. They were trying to break free. _Lee-san…I'm sorry. But, I have to… _Sakura lifted up her her hand which held a kunai. _I want to… _She brought the kunai close to the back of her neck. _I want to change. _With one swipe, she chopped off her overgrown hair.

The pieces began to fall slowly. Some blew away, some touched Lee's face gently. "What? What is she doing, Neji?" asked Tenten. Sakura wanted to forget that those three years without Sasuke and Naruto, those three years of living alone. She wanted to become someone new and stronger; this was the promise she made to herself the last time she cut her hair. Only this time, her hair was much longer, and her new haircut was much shorter—almost like a boy's haircut.

Sasuke stared for a while, while everything was in silence, then he broke the silence. He looked over at her. "Sakura…Let's go." She was still looking down at the kunai in her hand, and the hair which was blown around her. As much as he needed her, he wasn't going to beg, and he began to walk away, his back turned towards the team and Sakura.

"CLOSE THE GATES!" Tsunade repeated, this time louder. The gates were closing slowly, and Naruto was running fast. Tsunade turned toward the two squads. "Shikamaru!" "All right," Shikamaru said. He placed his two hands together and formed tha basic jutsu sign, and waited for the perfect time, when Naruto was a few steps ahead of him. "Kagemane no Jutsu!" (Shadow Imitation Technique)

Naruto stopped moving in his tracks. "Got him," said Shikamaru. Sai caught up with Naruto. "Thank you." "Naruto!" yelled Tsunade, as she walked toward's Naruto's front. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Naruto tried to move his face downward, but the possession jutsu wouldn't allow it. He looked up, his face with an angry expression. "Let me go!! I have to save Sakura-chan!!!" he yelled, trying to break free from the possession jutsu.

_Why is it so hard to control Naruto?_, Shikamaru thought. _This is too much…_ "I'm letting him go," he said, as he seperated his hands. Naruto began to feel his legs again. "Shikamaru!" yelled Tsunade. "Sorry, but he's too hard to control for long." Tsunade turned toward Naruto. "You…" She grabbed him by his collar. "Wahh—Tsunade-baa--!" "Naruto, you don't know what you're getting yourself into! Now you listen to me!" She turned towards Sai and the two squads.

"If we don't get Sasuke back to Konoha alive…then the Sound will declare war on us." "A-another war?" Hinata stammered, the thought of war always scared her. Tsunade's tone grew more searious. "That's right. We can't afford the loss of another war! Especially with Orochimaru and the Sound!" She turned toward Naruto. "If you really care about Sasuke and Sakura…then you shouldn't be running off all alone." "Sai!" she yelled. "Ah…yes?"

"You and Naruto will be a team of your own." "What? Me and him? I—" Sai remembered Sakura's face…he remembered the night when he had seen her cry. He remembered her confession, and they way she said she trusted him. "I understand," he said, looking up at Tsunade and the large gates of Konoha that were behind her.

Neji stepped forward. "Sorry, but you can't leave," he said to Sasuke. Sasuke stopped walking. "You see, I'm a Jonin now. And, I have a perfect record with completing my missions in this rank. So, I'm not letting you get away." Sasuke couldn't care less about Neji's "perfect record" and being a Jonin. He continued to walk.

Neji made a face, then he disappeared suddenly. Sasuke turned around slightly. Neji reappeared beside Sakura. She was still thinking and was completely out of it. Neji held up a kunai. "I wonder…what this girl means to you." He held up the kunai a little closer to her neck. "Neji-kun…don't," Tenten said. She didn't want to cause any more trouble—she just wanted to complete the mission. _Besides_…She turned to Lee. What would he think?

"You know how long I've been waiting to fight you, an Uchiha. Then again," he turned to Sakura. "That isn't my mission here." Neji turned toward his team. "Wha…! Wait a sec--!" Tenten began to say. "Tenten, Gai-senei. Let's go." He grabbed Sakura by the waist and threw her over his shoulders. She was too deep in thought to notice. "Lee, wake up. We're going."

"Neji! What do you think you're doing!" demanded Gai. "First off, we have to bring back that punk—" He pointed to Sasuke. "—alive, whether we like it or not! Second…" His voice grew more intense. "I'm the leader in charge of this mission." "You don't get it, do you?" _What is Neji-kun thinking?_, thought Tenten. _He must have something… _Neji took a step forward.

"You…" Sasuke turned around toward Neji, with a smirk on his face. "You really want to fight me, don't you?" Neji smiled, and lay Sakura gently on the ground. "I wasn't able to fight Naruto like I planned…but I'm pretty sure you'll do." "Hm? Are you saying I'm weaker than Naruto?" Tenten stepped back from their conversation. She noticed that they both had a sneer on their faces, which meant something was going to happen.

"Gai-sensei…" "Tenten, you know not to interfere when Neji's this searious." He looked down at Lee. "He's just playing with Sasuke's emotions, and I'm also playing along." "Ah…I see." Lee opened his eyes. "Sakura-san…where is she?" _Lee-kun…_ Lee looked towards where Sakura lay. "What? What happened?"

"Byakugan!" Neji yelled. _Sharingan! _The two started off with normal taijutsu and hand-to-hand combat. After a few minutes of kicks and punches, Neji yelled out, "Hakke Kūshō!" (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm) He trusted his palm toward Sasuke, expelling a large amount of chakra. Sasuke moved back to dodge the attack, but he could still feel it. "Interesting…a new technique," murmered Sasuke. "I'm not finished!" yelled Neji, as he attempted punching Sasuke.

"You're too slow," said Sasuke. "Naruto is stronger than you. And, you call yourself a Jonin? Pathetic." Those words stung Neji hard. "Why you…" Both his fists began to glow. "Neji!" yelled Lee as he got up, and nearly stumbled to one side. The glowing stopped and Neji turned around. "Remember what Tsunade-sama said. We can't kill him."

"What makes you think that he'd kill me?" Sasuke asked emotionlessly. Although his face showed no emotion, his blood began to boil. He wanted to go and leave with Sakura already, and kill Neji and Lee. _Sakura…_ He looked over at her. Was she dead, or something? Something was wrong with her.

Lee noticed where Sasuke was looking. "Ah, so you've noticed." Sasuke wondered what he was talking about. "That isn't Sakura," Lee said. Suddenly, the a cloud of smoke surrounded the "fake Sakura" revealing a log in her place. _What?! How could I have missed that?!?_ He tried not to show any emotion."The reason you've kidnapped her and brought her with you is because of that mark isn't it?" asked Gai, as he stood up. "Kakashi told me."

"When Sakura-san cut her hair, I performed a clone jutsu and replaced her," Lee explained to Sasuke, as if he were dumb. "I-I know that!" yelled Sasuke, surprising everyone by his sudden outburst. _Dammit. They know everything now. But, where's the real Sakura? _Tenten disappeared into a cloud of smoke, revealing that she two was a clone. She appeared out from behind a tree, holding a kunai to Sakura's neck.

"We're bringing her back, which forces you to come two," she said. "Or else, your precious Sakura dies." "You wouldn't," dared Sasuke. "Maybe you don't know this," said Tenten. "But, she's been a burden to Konoha ever since you left. Tsunade-sama trained her out of pity, and she almost got Lee-kun killed." Lee looked down, the whole thing was, sadly, the truth.

"Sakura-san's whole world…" Lee almost choked on the words. "…was destroyed when you left. And I…I couldn't do a thing for her. Only you can, Sasuke." "What are you saying, Lee?!" yelled Gai. "Still…our mission is…" _I just want her to be happy… _

"Thank you, Lee-san." The voice had come from above. All looked up. "S-Sakura-san?" The Sakura Tenten was holding disappeared suddenly. "I don't want to go back to Konoha. None of you can force me," she said sternly. Neji stepped forward. "As a Jonin…" Sakura leaped down. "I'll fight you, Hyuga. If I win, then I'm going with Sasuke-san." "And if I win…?" Neji asked, knowing that he would win. "We'll see…" said Sakura, stepping forward.

**I thought this chapter sucked compared to the others…I only made it to reveal stuff and add to the tension. (It'll get waaaay better)**

**There's going to be more action, romance, and drama.**

**Next chapter: Sakura finally gets to kick some ass! (As one reviewer wanted). Her true strength, thanks to Tsunade, will be revealed. She surprises everyone…especially Sasuke. She isn't the weak little girl anymore.**

**Sasuke is hot, don't you agree? **

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	7. The unlikely pair: Sakura vs Neji!

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**The plot is going along nicely… **

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 7**

Tenten leaned back on the tree that was behind her. "There's no way she'd win against Neji-kun," she said softly. "Maybe," said Lee who was right beside her. "Remember that she was trained by Hokage-sama." "So?" Lee looked at Tenten, wondering why she was acting so strange. _Oh! I remember now!_, thought Lee. _Today's her birthday…March 9._ Lee remembered that on that morning, Tenten had asked Neji if he knew what today was, and he said it was the day of an important mission.

Sakura and Neji both stepped forward. "For this," Neji said. "I won't even need by Byakugan." _Big mistake, _Sakura thought. She leaped high into the air, nearly disappearing out of sight. "An aerial attack? That won't work," murmured Neji. After a few moments, Sakura was seen surging to the ground with powerful force. "A girl won't beat me…"

She looked as though she were going to kick him from above. "Tsūtenkyaku!" (Painful Sky Leg). Neji's eyes widened, and he stepped back quickly. The whole area was covered with dust from the ground. "Neji-kun!" Sasuke had turned around completely now. He was wondering what the results would be. "That Neji, he definitely knows how to block an attack," Gai said. Tenten turned to him. _That's right. Why should I worry about him? _

The dust cleared. "N-No way!" yelled Lee. There was a huge crater, and in the middle of it was Sakura's leg. Neji was near the edge of the crater with dirt and small bruises on him. Sakura straightened her back. Neji panted a few times. It took a lot of his energy to try to block the attack. But even that enery wasn't enough; he had to dodge instead. "You're pretty fast," Sakura said.

_I never knew she was this strong_, thought Sasuke. "Heh, I underestimated you," Neji said, as he wiped off some dirt from his face. "Of course a student of Hokage-sama would learn her techniques. Byakuga—" Before he was fully able to release the byakugan, Sakura dashed toward him and punched him in the face. Neji was sent flying sideways and crashed into many of the trees. "That's not fair!" exclaimed Tenten. "He wasn't even able to finish!"

Sasuke's attention was now all on Sakura, and he stared directly at her. He was bewildered by her inhuman strength. She looked back. _He's looking at me now. Finally, Sasuke-kun gets to see how strong I've gotten in his absence. _She looked back at Neji, who was lifting himself up. "What was that—" She cut him off. "You said you wouldn't need the Byakugan," Sakura said, her voice cold.

"Alright, then I won't use it. I just wasn't defending myself, that's all." "Oh, really?" Sakura's voice was beginning to intimidate Neji. "Neji!" yelled Gai. "You are at a disadvantage. You don't know what this girl may have up her sleeve, but she's seen you fight. Be careful." Neji frowned. "I know."

Sakura suddenly disappeared. Then, she appeared surging from the sky, her two fists glowing. "Another aerial attack?" Neji asked. "Shōsen Jutsu!" (Mystical Palm Technique). _"Shōsen Jutsu?"_ Neji stepped back. _That's like my Jūken (Gentle Fist). When did she…? _Neji made several hand signs. "Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō!" (Divination Field: Divine One Hundred-Twenty Eight Strikes or **Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms**).

"Ha! She's trapped now!" yelled Tenten. "Don't be so sure," said Lee, his eyes fixed on the battle. Once Sakura was close enough, Neji moved his fingers at rapid speed to 128 of her chakra points. _It's faster and stronger than his former Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms), _Sasuke thought.

He saw Sakura spit out blood. "I'm not even finished!" yelled Neji. "Hokage-sama told us not to kill Uchiha, but never you!" Sasuke felt a pulse in his neck. He grabbed it, tightly. It was where the curse mark was. _What? What's wrong? _He looked at Sakura, who was being beaten to death by Neji. He felt something, a presence behind him, and turned around. "Ah…I see now."

The team of Naruto and Sai and Kurenai's squad had already left, leaving behind Squad 10, or Shikamaru's squad. "Alright, so why can't we go?" Shikamaru asked, the regular bored expression on his face. "Just wait," Tsunade asked. "You know I can't let you go without a Jonin." Shikamaru looked down, Ino looked up, and Choji looked into the bag of potato chips he was holding—all of them thinking of the same thing, their Asuma-sensei.

"Yeah, and what about Naruto's team?" Shikamaru asked, wondering that, if she had made an exception for Naruto, then why not them? "They'll meet up with Kakashi. Oh and don't worry, she's coming." "She?" Shikamaru repeated Tsunade's words. _Oh, great_, he thought sarcasticly. _I hate women. _"Will this be our permenant Jonin-sensei?" Choji asked, with chips in his mouth. Shikamaru, again, looked down, and Ino looked at Shikamaru, worriedly.

"No," answered Tsunade. "Hey there, Shikamaru," said a voice. _I know that voice…_ Shikamaru turned around. "Temari-san!" exclaimed Choji, happily. "Oh hi," said Ino, for she had nothing against Temari. "Don't tell me that your…" Shikamaru's voice trailed off. "That's right. I'll be the Jonin captain of this mission." She noticed Shikamaru's expression. "Why…? What's wrong?" she asked.

"The only reason why is because this squad's mission is slightly different and has more to do with the war than with rescuing," Tsunade said, her voice firm. "And, since the Sunagakure, the Sand, were once alliances with Otokagure, the Sound, and is now Konoha's alliance, they might have some valuable information." "So, this mission doesn't have much combat, right?" asked Ino.

"It does have combat, although not as much as the combat you would see with rescuing," Tsunade said. "And Sakura? Will she be alright?" Ino asked. "We'll see…" Tsunade said, her voice much softer. Temari, noticing Tsunade's reaction, began her briefing. "First, we'll follow Naruto's trail, until they get to a certain point where they meet Kakashi. Then, we'll file some reports on what we know to Gaara—I mean, the Kazekage…"

"Oh right; I forgot your freak-of-a-brother is the Kazekage," said Shikamaru. Shikamaru heard sand falling from behind him. _Don't tell me…_ Gaara's face appeared from over his shoulder. "A freak?" Gaara quoted, his sand rising. "Ah—Kazekage-sama!" Shikamaru yelled. "You're lucky I'm letting you date my sister…" "Y-You're right…"

"Gaara!" exclaimed Temari. "What are you doing here?" Her face showed she was both happy and surprised. "Look, it's that creepy Gaara guy," whispered Ino to Choji. "Yeah I know…creepy and scary." Gaara looked at them, causing the both of them to flinch. "You're early," said Tsunade. "The meeting is tomorrow." "I know that," replied Gaara.

"Wait, if we're supposed to meet you there, then why are you here?" asked Shikamaru. "Don't worry about that. The journey isn't that long," answered Gaara. _So he says…_, thought Temari.

After all 128 strikes were done, Sakura fell to the ground. "Sakura-san…" Lee murmured. He knew to cheer for his own team member, but Sakura was… Neji panted for breath, for the attack had taken a lot of his energy. "It's over," he said. "I win." He walked away, slowly. _I didn't expect to have used that technique._ He noticed something from behind him. "Byakugan!" he said as he turned around.

Sakura slowly stood up. "No way!" yelled Tenten. "It's as though she doesn't have a scratch on her…what happened?" Neji finally saw what he could not see without his Byakugan. "That's not Sakura." He stated to Tenten. "Th-then how--!" His fingers traced along the once-invisible lines of chakra. Those were the lines that he only saw now. "Neji-kun, what are you—" "There!" yelled Neji, as he threw one of his kunais to a bush.

The sound of two kunais clashing was heard. Sakura stepped out of the bush, with lines of chakra along her fingers. "I didn't expect you to be a puppet master too," said Neji. "Heh, neither did I," Sasuke said, slightly smirking. "Ah, I forgot about you—" Suddenly, a huge snake appeared from underground right behind Sasuke. "Thanks for buying me time, Sakura." She tried not to flinch at the way he said her name. "Let's go now." "Alright," she said, as she cut off the strings of chakra on her fingers with a kunai.

"You can keep that," said Sakura, referring to the puppet of herself. "Give it to Tsunade, tell her it's a gift from me." Both Lee and Sasuke were shocked by her cold attitude. When Sasuke had first kidnapped her, she had never said anything cold, and the way she talked sounded the same. Her appearance was the same as well, although her hair had grown a lot. The only difference was her stare, which wasn't really much.

Lee was surprised because he missed the old Sakura. The old Sakura—the one with both beauty and brains. Back then, her eyes seemed so full of life. But when Sasuke left, the light and life from her eyes had left her. Now, they were slowly coming back. Slowly, but he could see that they were.

Neji couldn't stand it. How could he have been tricked? He should have used the Byakugan from the beginning, rather than have been intimidated by a girl. His teeth clenched. He watched as Sasuke helped Sakura climb to the top of the snake's head. When his hand had grabbed hers, she looked down, an odd expression on her face. _Don't tell me that the reason she's doing this is because of…love. _

He gulped. "I told you, I won't let you get—" "Give it a rest, Neji," Lee said. "What are you saying?" "Don't you see, Neji?" Lee said, as he looked in the face of Sakura. She looked so pure, the few pieces of moonlight that fell through the leaves shone on her face. "Lee, I know this girl is important to you, but…" Gai couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Two and a half years ago, I promised Sakura-san that I would protect her. If protecting her means by making her happy and going off with someone else, then that is what I'll do." "Lee-kun…" Tenten said, her voice low and soft. "…Because I, too love Sakura-san." He shouted over to Sakura and Sasuke. "Sakura-san!" he yelled.

Both turned around, already seated on the giant, purple snake. Lee ran closer so that they could hear his words. "Hokage-sama sent out the Chunin and Jonin of Konoha after you." He turned to Sakura. "Be careful, Sakura-san." Sakura nodded. The snake rose high into the air, disappearing and gliding over the trees above the forest.

Team Gai watched as they left. "Why did we let them go?" asked Tenten. "Even if we all engaged in combat with them…there's no way we'd have beaten them," Gai said. "What? Even you, Gai-sensei?" asked Lee, surprisingly. "Yeah. Both of them were trained by legendary Sannin, and so was Naruto." He looked up at the dark sky and the moon. "I think they'll be the new Sannin."

Sasuke helped Sakura off the snake when they got to a small village. "We'll just stay here," Sasuke said to both Sakura and the snake. The snake nodded and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. "That was a big mistake." Sasuke said quietly, as they began to walk into the village. "What was?"

He looked at the ground. "When you told me to summon a snake so we could escape…"  
There it was, the word 'we'. "…why didn't you just summon one of your own creatures?" Sasuke asked, his eyes still focused on the dirt ground. "Oh, well…I didn't have enough chakra left. Why do you ask?"

He looked straight at her, the large moon showing behind him. "Because, that snake is also Orochimaru's. And, it's most likely that it'll tell him where it's been and our location." "Then why didn't you—!" Sakura stopped herself from saying more. _That's right…I told him that I had a plan, and he trusted me. _Sakura blushed at that fact.

Meanwhile, in a dark room, Kabuto stepped next to Orochimaru, who was sitting up in bed. "I have his location now, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said, while closing the door behind him. "Excellent," answered Orochimaru. "Soon, he will truly be mine."

**It's over. (dum dum dum) haha.**

**I hope this also appeals to guys. It's a little more action-y now. Oh yes, and if you read the manga, the whole puppet thing makes sense… And, I added the whole Gaara thing because, we all love Gaara right? (and it's funny)**

**The next chapter includes Sai and Naruto getting closer to their goal then it seems, Sakura's encounter with Ino…and what will Orochimaru do next?**

**Thanks for the reviews.**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	8. Sasuke's Dilemma

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Sorry I couldn't post it up sooner…my internet wasn't working**

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 8**

Sakura opened her eyes slowly and looked around. _Where am I? _She began to sit up in the bed, which caught Sasuke's attention. He was sitting on the ground, reading some books. Then, she remembered. They were at one of the small inns in the town. Sasuke had told her the night before that, if they wanted the Konoha ninjas to loose their trail, then they should hide out in a small town.

He noticed that she was awake--her face in front of the sunlight that poured through the window. He put the books down. "I've gotten some supplies already," he said. There was an awkward silence as he closed the book he was holding. Sakura stood up, asking the odd question if there was a bath house nearby. "I don't know," answered Sasuke.

Another uncomfortable silence, this time Sakura had the guts to see if he was blushing to. She couldn't tell—he was looking down. "Sasuke-kun…I'll return those books for you," Sakura said, noticing the small tags on the side of each book which stated, 'Library'. "Seeing as you're a wanted man and all…" Sakura continued. He held out the books—his expression still not able to be seen—and Sakura took them, along with a bag full of her daily clothes. She then, left the room.

"What?! Why are we stopping?!" complained Naruto, his loud voice causing a scene in the small town. Sai however, couldn't care less about the number of people who were watching them. "Because, I'm tired." "AHH—You--!" Naruto yelled. "You may not care about Sasuke and Sakura-chan, but I DO!!!" He began to point violently at Sai. Sai merely shrugged, which pissed Naruto off more.

In the distance, on a hill overlooking the town and Naruto's idiotic actions, stood Team Temari. "Why have we stopped?" asked Shikamaru. "Look," said Temari, pointing down to Naruto and Sai, and the big crowd around them. Shikamaru leaned over. "How troublesome," he said, referring to Naruto and his antics. "So does that mean we have to stop too?" asked Choji, while stuffing a handful of potato chips into his mouth.

"I guess so," Temari said as she leaned closer. "Hey, wait a sec!" Ino exclaimed, as she nearly pushed Temari over the cliff. Luckily, Shikamaru was able to catch her. "Ino!" Ino just ignored his scolding voice. "Is that Sai-kun?" her voice putting emphasis on the name. She began to run off. "Ino, wait! We're supposed to stay hidden!" Shikamaru yelled. However, she wasn't in hearing distance anymore. Shikamaru rubbed the corners of his forehead—she always gave him headaches like this. "I guess I'll go," he said as he leaped down the cliff.

Shizune walked into Tsunade's office, with a worried look on her face. "What is it?" asked Tsunade, for she knew that look. "Well," Shizune said, as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "It's about Sakura-san." Tsunade twitched at her name, but her pose remained the same. "What about her?"

"I was just wondering…will she be marked as a missing ninja like Sasuke?" Shizune asked. Tsunade leaned back on her chair, to relax the mood a bit. "If all search missions fail and war breaks out between Konohagakure and Otogakure…then she will be marked as a missing nin."

Sakura took the library books out of her large bag. She began to stack them into the shelves carefully. "When did Sasuke-kun borrow all of these books?" she asked herself. She put them all in alphabetical order, until she got to the book at the bottom of the pile. Sakura lifted it up with both hands, for it was heavy. She noticed a small, leather book mark sticking out of one of the pages, and lay the book down on the table next to her.

She opened it to that exact page, not noticing the title on the cover. She stared at the pages blankly. On the top of the pages were the words, "The relation between curse marks and emotions". _What does…this mean? _Sakura flipped through a few pages. _I didn't know there was a connection…_

"Oh, look. It's Sakura." Sakura knew that voice, and nearly turned around, until she remembered what Lee had told her and Sasuke. "I knew it was you all along—new haircut or not—that ratty outfit of yours is still the same," Ino said, while flipping her long, blonde hair. Sakura turned around, a devilish grin on her face. "You're right," she said.

"Looks like the chase is over," Ino said, while tossing her hair again. "Isn't that right, Sakura?" Ino closed her eyes for a bit.

"Not quite."

Sakura punched Ino in the face with full force, causing Ino to be sent flying out of the window behind her. Ino let out a scream as the glass behind her broke and she fell. "Why you--!" she yelled as he fell to the ground, causing a scene outside. There were murmurs and whispers from the crowd around Ino. People began to look up at the window, and Sakura's face.

"Shit," Sakura said to herself, while grabbing the book and her bag on the table, and running out of the library.

She could see the inn now, and hoped that Sasuke was still inside. She bumped into someone, and nearly fell over. "Sakura?" For a second, her vision was blurred, and she thought it was Sai. Sakura got up to her feet, and nearly ran away, until he was in front of her again. It wasn't Sai, it was Sasuke. "Sakura, I was…worrie—" She cut him off. "W-We have to go!"

The sounds of loud slurping had attracted a lot of attention outside the ramen stand. "While we're here, we might as well eat the town's ramen," Naruto said, his mouth almost full. Sai ate the ramen slowly—it wasn't his favorite of dishes. The people around Naruto and Sai began to turn their attention toward something else, and walked toward the other scene.

"Eh? I wonder what the commotion's all about over there," Naruto said, while looking over Sai and the stand. Sai merely shrugs and continues eating. Whatever it was, the chances of it being Sakura and that Sasuke were slim. It wasn't like them to make a stop, especially in this town.

Shikamaru ran to where the crowd was and pushed his way through. Something was telling him that Ino was in the middle of the crowd, but he hoped that wasn't the case. _O great_, he thought to himself sarcastically. In the middle of the crowd was, in fact, Ino. Her hair was scattered everywhere, and she was facing the ground. "Ino!"

"Ngh…" she trembled as she tried getting up. "What happened?" Shikamaru asked, as he helped Ino to her feet. She ran her fingers through her long hair. "That Sakura…" Shikamaru's eyes widened. "What? You saw her here? She did this to you?!" "Ah…" Ino stood up and put her hair back in its regular ponytail. "Yeah, I saw that Sakura…" Temari and Choji ran in.

Sasuke and Sakura were already out of the town, now running into forest. Surprisingly, it was Sakura who was ahead of Sasuke. He wondered why she was running so fast and what she saw. When he had asked her calmly what happened, all she did was speed up and run faster. It was weird for Sasuke—he was actually reaching out to someone. Especially when, he almost told Sakura he was worried about her and went out to look for her because she had been gone for a long time.

Sakura stopped running—she sensed something. And, when Sasuke got to where she was, he sensed it too. It was something…something under the ground. Sasuke's eyes widened and he grabbed Sakura and jumped over. Suddenly, where they had stood before, appeared a giant snake out of the ground, with Kabuto on top of it. "Orochimaru-sama couldn't make it," he said. "He's much too weak to see even you, Sasuke." "You again…"

"Listen…" Kabuto said as he leaped down and glanced at Sakura. Sakura stared back, she hated him because he worked with Orochimaru. Kabuto turned his attention to Sasuke. "We've got the location of your brother." Sasuke looked surprised for a moment, causing Sakura to have a worried look on her face.

"…and he's on the move," Kabuto continued. "The sooner you come back, the sooner you can kill him and…" his voice became low. "The sooner you'll belong to Orochimaru-sama!" Sasuke looked down, his eyes dark and unseen. "Alright," he said, solemnly. Sakura yelled out his name. "Sasuke-kun, no!"

Once again, she felt weak and unable to do anything. As long as his brother was alive, Sasuke would live this life of loneliness and unhappiness. The only time when he was truly happy—she knew—was 2 ½ years ago, when they were all still Genin in Squad 7 with Kakashi. She tried to hold back her tears. All she ever did was cry.

The curse mark stung at her voice, and for a split second Sasuke's eyes showed pain. Then, his curled smile appeared. Kabuto noticed the reaction Sasuke had to Sakura's voice, and wondered… "Don't you want to join with the all-powerful Orochimaru-sama?" Sasuke stepped forward, then stepped back.

Sakura looked up, her green eyes shining. _Could it be…that Sasuke-kun doesn't want to go back to Orochimaru?_ She blinked the tears away, remembering her words from before.

"_I—I'll even help you with your revenge! Sasuke-kun…Please take me with you!!" _

Sakura smiled at the sad memory. She was actually living it now. This was what she wanted. She wanted to be with Sasuke. It didn't matter that so much time past and that they barely knew each other. What mattered to her was that she was with him. The fact that she was with him made her happy. Then, there was also his hesitation to go back to Orochimaru.

_Maybe…Sasuke-kun wants to change? _She looked up at Sasuke, his back facing her. _No, I shouldn't make conclusions yet. _Although, most of the time and because of her brain, Sakura's conclusions were almost always right.

Sasuke thought of what to do. He had several options, however most of them wouldn't make him happy. _Happiness_, he thought to himself. _What is happiness? _After spending nearly three years with Orochimaru, he had almost forgotten how the emotion felt. Then again, because of the curse mark, he had lost most of his emotions.

He thought back. He thought back to the days in Squad 7—with Kakashi, Sakura, and the idiot, Naruto. Sasuke wondered if Naruto still was as idiotic as he was before, and if Kakashi had gotten stronger. He knew Sakura had changed… The image of Naruto appeared in his head. Ah, Naruto. The best fight that Sasuke had in his whole life was with Naruto. He smiled at the outcome of their final fight—he had won.

Why was it, that he was thinking of this only now? Was it because…Sasuke glanced at Sakura's face. Was it because of her and the effects of the curse mark? Kabuto, who was looking closely at Sasuke, noticed this smile. What was he thinking of? Sakura was thinking of the same thing.

"C'mon, you should realize what an honor it is to share the same body as the great Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said, while walking a few steps closer to Sasuke. "It's not that great," said a voice. Sasuke turned around to see Naruto, leaning his hand and body weight on Sasuke's shoulder, just as Sasuke had when they met at Orochimaru's hideout. _How could I not have sensed him?! _

Sakura turned around, with tears in her eyes from her own thoughts. Naruto looked pretty tense and serious, which was a very rare sight on Naruto. "Ah…the Kyuubi," said Kabuto as he stared at Naruto.

_Everything is going as you planned…Orochimaru-sama._

**To be continued… (that's better than saying, "dum dum dum", right?"**

**Thanks for all of the reviews, they mean a lot. **

**I tried to add more romance in this chapter…but the story line has gotten so deep that it's almost hard to put in romance (I tried, I swear!)**

**Chapter 9 (next chapter): Ino realizes her defeat by Sakura (finally!) and Sasuke and Sakura meet up with an Akatsuki member…does this mean that Sasuke chose Sakura over Orochimaru? O.O..._suspense!_**

**I love you all. (it's a joke, ok?)**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	9. The Nightmare That Continues to Haunt

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback or something else)_

**I know it's only been a few days…but because of the popular demand, Chapter 9 is here! (I typed my ass off for you people…be grateful.) **

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 9**

Naruto looked up—his eyes intense and filled with some sort of anger. "Sasuke," he said, his hand still on Sasuke's arm. He thought to himself things he couldn't say aloud. _Why'd you have to go? Why did you have to ruin our friendship? There was always that special bond…We were like brothers…_

"Stop with these evil plans of revenge of yours." Naruto turned toward Sakura. "Kidnapping Sakura-chan is so low." "Ah—Sasuke-kun didn't kidnap me!" Naruto ignored her words. "Why don't you just come back to Konoha and wait until the Akatsuki come after me again?" Sasuke abruptly shrugged to get Naruto's hand off him. Naruto however, was surprised that Sasuke hadn't done so sooner.

That was one of the things that got Sasuke really mad. Along with the Akatsuki, his brother wanted to kill Naruto. They hadn't given Sasuke any thought, as though he was weaker than that idiot. Kabuto jumped into the conversation.

"Well Sasuke, what are you going to do now?" Sasuke clenched his fist and looked at the dirt ground. "You have a few options," Kabuto said, his voice annoying Sasuke so much that he wanted to kill him.. "You can go back to Konoha with Naruto and waste your life there, as he wants." Naruto's eyes filled with anger even more, which scared Sakura.

"You could keep playing this game of hide-and-seek with Sakura, trying hopelessly to find the whereabouts of Itachi." He twitched at the name. Just that name alone made Sasuke's blood boil. "Or, you can come back with me, to Orochimaru-sama, and be able to accomplish your goal. That is, to kill your brother." Kabuto smiled, a mischievous smile.

Sai walked around the town, looking annoyed, wondering where Naruto ran off to. "We'll never catch up with them at this rate," Sai said, which were somewhat like Naruto's words from earlier in the day. Sai kept walking, his feet almost dragging themselves—ramen never gave him the energy he needed.

He noticed a large crowd outside one of the main buildings. _Let me guess…they're gathered around a dead Naruto. _He walked over to see if his guess was correct. A girl with long hair in a ponytail and a guy in a uniform stood, an older girl and a fat guy standing after them. _I think I've seen them somewhere…_ Sai tried to remember where.

"I think," said Ino as she turned toward Sai so he could see her. "Sakura went off that way." She seemed to be pointing where Sai was. Sai's eyes widened. _Did she say… "Sakura?" _They must have been one of the other squads after her. "Uh…Ino," Shikamaru said. "It's rude to point." Ino noticed where and whom she was pointing at. "Ahh—! It's Sai-kun, everybody!" She skipped happily over to him.

Ino grabbed onto his arm, something she used to do with Sasuke when they were younger. However, Sai didn't seem the slightest annoyed, mainly because, his mind was on someone else. "Why are you all here?" Sai asked, his voice steady. "We're after Sakura too," Temari said, stepping closer. "Actually, my team is meant to follow yours in secrecy until a certain point…"

"Then why are you telling them this?" asked Shikamaru. "There's no use in hiding it anymore," Temari answered. _Oh…she has that look on her face_, thought Shikamaru. _Like she's better than me, or something. _Temari smiled, her competitive smile. Sai interrupted the moment. "You said you know where Sakura-san is, right?"

Ino let go of Sai's arm and pointed in a certain direction. "In _that_ direction," she said. "I'm sure Naruto is already there, considering he's not with you," Shikamaru stated. "Maybe…" Sai looked down. "But I'm still part of his team. We must go—they shouldn't have gotten to far." His voice was serious, not anywhere near playful. "Right." Temari said. The team began to run--Ino being the last in line and the slowest.

She was surprised by Sai and how he was whenever Sakura's name was mentioned. At the briefing, other than Naruto, he seemed to be the most serious about it. "He must have had…a special bond with her," Ino whispered softly to herself. Still running, she closed her eyes. _Hah, look's like I've lost again, Sakura. You may not know it, but I can tell…Those two guys—Sasuke-kun and Sai-kun… _

"Ino, hurry up!" yelled Choji, who was in front of her. "Shikamaru says we might need a medical ninja early, so get in the front!" Ino opened her eyes and looked up. "Yeah, alright." She sped up her pace and stayed alongside Temari and Shikamaru.

Sasuke thought to himself of what to do, not realizing that his emotions were actually coming into play. He thought of Naruto and Sakura, and the life he left behind in Konoha. They had given him nightmares…he would be younger and a Genin in Konoha. Suddenly, while he was having his fun teasing Naruto and entertaining Sakura, Itachi would appear.

_Darkness would suddenly appear. Itachi would walk in, his sword in his hands, and make a slashing motion toward the three. Then, Kakashi would appear in front of them—defending them, and dying in the process. Sakura would cry, Naruto would shout, and Sasuke would stand there, stunned. Naruto would then run up to Itachi, only to be killed as well. Sakura would scream as the dark figure of Itachi would step closer._

_And all through this, Sasuke was unable to move. It was as if he had been stunned. Sakura would yell some words—words Sasuke was still unable to comprehend—and stepped in front of Sasuke, getting killed with one single slash. Sasuke would just sit there, his eyes shocked, still unable to move. _

_Itachi would say the words that would always haunt him. "You're weak. You can't do anything." "I'm not weak!" Sasuke would try to yell back, but the words would not come out. "You lack hate…that's why I didn't kill you." They would be words from different times, all mixed together. _

_The scenery would change. Sasuke would be in the same position except out in the rain, in front of three gravestones. Each one for one member of Squad 7. He'd close his eyes tightly, only to see a world of darkness…and things that he left behind. He would open them, to see an orange figure in front of him. He knew who it was…_

"_You're alive?!" yelled Sasuke, finally getting the words out. For, even though he had had this dream several times, he would always be surprised. _

_Itachi stood in front of Naruto. "Yes, you're what I want," he would say. "Naruto! Get out of the way!" Sasuke tried to yell, but they wouldn't come out. Itachi began to do some sort of jutsu where his chakra began to surround him. "If you stand there, you'll die!" There was only silence. _

_Then, Sasuke recognized the attack, it was his own kind of Chidori. It would go through Itachi's sword, and Itachi would strike Naruto, right in the heart. "NARUTO!" Cherry blossoms would begin to fall, which were out of season, reminding Sasuke of Sakura. With each one that touched the ground, came a word from her. The word was so soft, it was almost like a whisper. _

_The words began to form into sentences, the sentences into their last conversation before Sasuke left for Orochimaru. Naruto would turn around, blood dripping from his mouth and eye. "Are you scared…?" Then, he'd fall over. _

"_One day…you'll kill him. Exactly the way I did." _

The curse mark began to glow. Sasuke's face began to fill, slowly, with pain. Kabuto noticed the ring around the mark, and noticed the title of the book Sakura was holding. _She sealed it?!_, he thought. He looked back at Sasuke, who seemed to be gasping for breath. _She didn't do it very well, though._

Sasuke fell over on his knees, gripping the left side of his neck. Sakura ran over and Naruto just stared, his angry expression, however, gone. Sakura held him close. "Sasuke-kun?" "Ah-ahhhhhh!" he yelled in his pain, clenching his teeth. "H-hold on!" Sakura exclaimed. He seemed to be trapped in some sort of genjutsu, but it was only his mind. In his mind, the nightmare replayed over and over again, along with those haunting moments with Squad 7 and Itachi.

Rain began to pour down from the sky, along with the sound of thunder. Naruto looked up in the sky, as if in the trance. The scene with Sasuke and Sakura was too much for him to bear. Footsteps came from behind them, then they seemed to stop in the patch of mud Naruto stood in. He turned around to see Sai with Temari, Shikamaru, Choji and Ino.

Ino couldn't take her eyes off Sasuke and Sakura. She was right, there was something going on… "We were supposed to stay hidden, but…" Temari noticed Sasuke, Sakura, and Kabuto. "That's the right-hand man of Orochimaru, if I'm not mistaken," Temari said, taking a step forward. "Wonderful, more Konoha ninjas. Looks like I'm outnumbered," Kabuto said, a fake smile on his lips, while holding up his two hands.

He vanished in a whirl of wind. "Where's he go?!" yelled Shikamaru over the rain. Naruto looked over at Sasuke and Sakura. Now was their chance! They could take them both back to Konoha! With the condition Sasuke was in, he was definitely unable to fight—and Sakura wasn't stronger than six ninja. He bit his thumb and placed his hands on the ground to summon a frog.

Gamma Bunta, the largest frog of all, appeared. "Whoa…" Choji said, his voice getting a little quiet. Naruto ran over to where Sasuke and Sakura were. "Sakura, help me get him on the boss," he said, referring to Gamma Bunta. Sakura only stared at Sasuke's face. He was still in pain. "Sakura! Don't you want to help him?!" The large frog began to complain about where Naruto had summoned him. Naruto turned. "Oh, shut up! I'm busy!"

He turned back to Sakura. She was thinking of what Sasuke would want. She knew that he didn't want to go back to Konoha…but for his safety…Then again, when did he ever care about his own safety? Sasuke had a goal in mind, and Sakura didn't want to be the same burden as before. She knew what to do.

She made some hands signs, bit her thumb as well, and summoned a slug. The slug being the great Katsuyu. Naruto moved back. "What the heck is that?!" "Tsunade's slug, Katsuyu," Sakura answered. "So that's _her_ slug, eh?" The slug began to spit acid from its mouth. A huge glob of acid flew straight toward Ino. "Wahhh--!" She moved away as fast as she could. However, some of the acid touched the ends of her hair, causing them to burn off.

"M-M-My HAIR!!!!" she yelled. _Oh no_, thought Shikamaru. "That thing is dangerous!" she yelled, pointing to the giant slug. "Well duh! Of course it is!" yelled Shikamaru.

This was Sakura's chance. Katsuyu would be her cover. She grabbed Sasuke and ran as fast as she could into the forest. "Th-They're getting away!" Naruto yelled. Sai looked up from his dodging of the acid. Both began to run to the forest. The slug merely spit more acid at them, making them unable to follow. "Dammit!" yelled Naruto, as he jumped away from some acid.

Sakura continued to run. She had no idea how long she had been running now. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few minutes…The scenery of the forest had not changed. Her legs were tired, now. Her arms were also tired of carrying Sasuke for too long. She noticed a waterfall and a spring from behind several bushes. "I guess…I'll just stay here for a bit." She lay Sasuke down close to her—he was now asleep—and leaned against the tree behind her.

She looked over at Sasuke, who was now sound asleep and hopefully, safe. Eventually, her panting stopped, and slowly, her eyes began to close.

**To be continued… (Don't hate me!)**

**This chapter didn't go as I planned…at all. Sasuke and Sakura were _supposed_ to meet with an Akatsuki member. But I got really into Sasuke's dream and thoughts, that I completely forgot. Personally, I think it's better this way. **

**So I guess…the _next _chapter will have the whole meeting with an Akatsuki member. Will Sasuke get the whereabouts of the Akatsuki…and his brother? (Don't take my word for it. This might not happen. I suck at planning what I'm going to write…)**

**Thank you all for the reviews. They make me very happy. **

**Goodbye for now.**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	10. A Kunoichi's Sacrifice

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 10**

He looked at her face. She must have been tired…from carrying him all the way to…wherever they were. Sasuke didn't know what time it was, and frankly, couldn't care about it. It was peaceful. Birds were chirping in the trees above, and some small animals scurried up the trees. He hadn't seen so much of nature and the outdoors in a long time. Orochimaru had never let him out of his sight after training…or out of his own room.

Now, Sasuke was tired of sleeping in his room; he was tired of those dreams. He was currently at peace, and fully awake, unlike Sakura, who had fallen fast asleep the moment her head had touched the bark of the large oak. As much as he wanted to go and find his brother, he didn't want to wake Sakura up. She had done a lot for him already, more than she knew.

He leaned over, his face close to hers. The wind began to blow gently, causing the sunlight to dance through the leaves of the oak tree. Why was it that, he felt so peaceful around her? It was only recently that he had felt this way. Without even knowing it, his emotions were coming back. Sasuke moved his hand close to her face, and gently stroked her cheek and some of her hair.

For some reason, the curse mark always ceased hurting when Sasuke was with Sakura. Not only now—but also when both of them were younger. There would be times when it would hurt so much, then she would say her words of worrying, and the pain would stop. He had never noticed it, back then. It was only now…

Sakura made a small sound. The sound people make when they begin to wake up. He moved back silently and quickly, slightly embarrassed. She opened her eyes—the way she did every morning—and focused on Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun…" Her voice so low, it was nearly a whisper. He wondered if she felt anything in her sleep. "You're alright." He smirked, his old sign of saying, "Of course I am." She smiled. That was a good sign.

"Dammit!" Naruto pounded his fist into the wall of the inn. "They got away…again!" "Well…" Temari began to say. Sai looked over from Naruto, then to Temari's team. He wondered what they would do next. "Look Naruto," Shikamaru said, a broom in his hands. "We'll clean up the village, and you go on ahead."

They had caused a big mess. The destruction that the giant slug made had to be blamed on someone, and so, it was blamed on the Konoha ninja. "You can't clean all of this up with a broom," Temari teased. "Whatever." That was the normal lazy response. Temari turned toward Sai and Naruto. "Shikamaru's right. We're supposed to be behind you anyway so…" Naruto took his fist out of the wall and walked towards the door. He stopped. "Let's go, Sai." There was a hint of impatience in his voice.

Steam surrounded Sakura. She took a few steps into the water, to check the temperature. It was just right—lukewarm. She stepped in, letting the water completely engulf her whole body, from her two feet up to her neck. She removed the towel that she had wrapped around herself. It floated to the surface of the water. "What a great spot I found," Sakura said to herself, as she sighed and moved to the deeper parts of the spring.

The waterfall and its waters came crashing down as she moved closer to it and farther from the shallow waters. She looked up to see the sun's position. It was approximately noon. She didn't even have to worry about the time. Sasuke had said to her that they would be leaving at sunset. That meant, that they would be moving while the Konoha ninja were resting and sleeping. It was a smart plan.

It also meant that Sakura could stay in the springs for as long as she wanted. It gave her more time to think, that was for sure. After about an hour or so, Sakura stepped back on the forest ground, and dried herself up with a separate towel. She dressed up and sat on the ground, reading the book that she had stolen from the library.

Why hadn't she seen any books like this in Tsunade's library? She flipped through the pages and skimmed the words; not knowing, that Tsunade had kept all books regarding curse marks and further research from Sakura. Tsunade wanted to protect Sakura, even if it meant hiding her from the truth. Sakura reminded Tsunade of herself, after all.

Sasuke appeared from behind the trees where Sakura was standing and tossed a piece of bread to her. It was lunchtime, and he didn't know any other way to give her food. In Orochimaru's hideout, Kabuto would toss a piece of bread over to Sasuke, as he was doing now. However, Sasuke couldn't help but think that it would make Sakura feel as though she was in a prison.

Sakura caught the bread without turning around, she had sensed him already, and bit it. "Thanks." It was all she bothered to say. She was interested in what she was reading. Sasuke just stood there, not knowing what to do. After Sakura had left to go to the spring, he had just sat there, staring blankly at the nature around him. In other words, he was bored out of his mind. He decided to engage in conversation, to help pass the time.

Sasuke sat beside her, somewhat stiffly. "What are you reading?" he asked, with no emotion whatsoever in his voice. Sakura closed the book up. "A novel," she lied. "It's really interesting." The sound of the waterfall was crashing in the distance. "So, uh…" Sasuke managed to stammer. "I missed you," Sakura said, her eyes on the ground. Sasuke looked at her, with the questioning look on his face.

"I mean…" she leaned back a bit. "Well you know, I just…" _I should hate you with all my heart now_, Sakura thought to herself. _But now…_ It was weird, the two had never really said a word to each other. They only fought those who stood in their way. "Why did you have to go?" She sounded like her old self again. Sasuke stood up, surprising her slightly. Sakura looked up at him.

_Conversation is pointless_, Sasuke thought as he walked back to where their things were. He only brought her with him because of the stupid curse mark. Sakura was still a burden, as she was before. He didn't care about her at all—no stupid curse marks or emotions were going to change that. That was what he wanted to think. There was a battle between him and his emotions. Who would win?

Sakura smiled as she watched Sasuke leave. _I shouldn't remind him of the past anymore. _She stood up as well. _I think…I want to bring Sasuke back…just like everyone else is doing. _She thought of Naruto, with that dorky smile on his face, and Sai, with his fake smile. With this new goal in mind, she walked over to where Sasuke was.

Sunset came quickly, the colors of the sky resembling a painter's mixed palette. Orange, red, yellow, purple, and shades of pink mixed together, the sun in the west. Sasuke and Sakura began to run on the trees. Sasuke was in the lead, and Sakura was behind him. They were moving quickly through the Land of Fire. Sasuke still didn't know exactly where they were headed, though.

They both didn't know…that they were being watched. The figure above them moved from tree to tree, as they were doing, but only faster. "Uchiha Sasuke," he said to himself. "That's Itachi's little brother…My, hasn't he grown," he commented. He disappeared. Sasuke noticed something, and stopped moving, immediately holding his left arm out to signal Sakura to stop. She stopped and slowed down as she reached Sasuke.

_Sharingan! _Sasuke used the Kekkei Genkai to find the enemy. He searched for movement and listened for footsteps. There! He sensed it and, swung his sword at something. The sound of metal from two swords clashing was heard. Sakura stepped back a little, stunned by how fast Sasuke had done what he did. It wasn't the only thing she was surprised at. The person in front of Sasuke wore a dark coat with red cloud-like patterns on it. She knew instantly that it was an Akatsuki member.

"You," Sasuke said, his sword still out. "I've seen you before…" He remembered. This man was with Itachi when they had attempted to murder Naruto. Sasuke had rushed over to save him, but had basically been useless. "Hoshigaki Kisame." His features were striking—his skin was slightly bluish and he looked somewhat like a shark. "Hoshigaki Kisame…" Sakura repeated. "You're one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, aren't you?" "I was," Kisame answered.

"What a surprise it is to see you here," Kisame said, his attention turned to Sasuke. "Where is Itachi?" Sasuke asked. _Those eyes…_, Kisame thought to himself, as he quickly looked away from them. He knew not to look into the eyes of an Uchiha with the Sharingan. It caused a Genjutsu spell to occur. Sasuke smiled his curled smile. "The plans of the Akatsuki are to use the power of the Jinchuriki, or the tailed beasts, to take over this whole world. I was told to go after that friend of yours, the Kyuubi, Uzumaki Naruto." Both Sasuke and Sakura twitched at the name.

"Yes but, why are you telling us all of this?" Sakura asked. "Well, aren't you smart…Haruno Sakura." Her eyes widened. _H-He knows my name! _"Yes, we know all about you three. Uzumaki Naruto, the pupil of Jiraiya and the Kyuubi; Haruno Sakura, the pupil of Tsunade and the one with the keen intellect; and there's Uchiha Sasuke, student of Orochimaru and Itachi's brother." Kisame smiled. "We've done our research, haven't we?"

"You were all part of Squad 7, along with the copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi, and must be eliminated at once." He disappeared again. "W-Where'd he go?!" yelled Sakura. She was nearly scared to death. "Calm down," Sasuke said. Kisame appeared, behind Sakura. "Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. Sakura turned around as Kisame swung his sword. She moved her neck back, it being only a few inches away from the blade.

However, this caused her to become out of balance. Kisame kicked her down and held the blade to her neck. Sasuke began to run, then stopped. "In response to your question before," Kisame said. "I'll tell you where your brother is, if you let me kill this girl." Sakura's eyes widened again. Of course he'd choose revenge over her—he always had. It was the reason she was with him. In the end, she was just a burden.

"Tell me where he is," Sasuke demanded. She was surprised that he didn't just say to kill her. Little did she know that he needed her. His strength and abilities would seem to fade whenever she wasn't there or when she was in trouble. Half of the reason was because, she had sealed the curse mark. Sasuke stared down at her. She looked up at him. Surprisingly, there was no sign of tears in her eyes. She only looked at him, as she did before when he was at her doorstep.

Sasuke gripped his sword tighter, transferring his Chidori into it. "Are you saying that you choose this girl?" Kisame asked, moving the blade away from her neck by about an inch. "No," Sasuke said. He was concentrating all of his chakra on his sword. "I'm saying that you'll be begging for your life and telling me where Itachi is." Kisame clenched his teeth. Sakura noticed that the sword was far enough away, and bit Kisame's hand. "Ah—why you!"

Sakura scrambled to the ground. Sasuke began to charge toward Kisame. _Look at all of this chakra…it's incredible—I can actually see it. _He smirked. _Still, It's nothing I can't handle. _Kisame held his sword in front of him horizontally."You think a little sword is going to stop me?" Kisame's sword began to glow. "Chidori Nagashi!" Sasuke yelled. Sakura tried to keep her eyes open, although the light was too bright.

Half of a sword fell to the ground near Sakura. She opened her eyes, and was surprised at what she saw. Sasuke's sword had gotten cut in half by the force of the other. "I'm a swordsman," Kisame said. "You can't beat me at that." A figure appeared behind Kisame. Obviously an Akatsuki member, he had the same outfit as Kisame. "Stop playing around, Kisame," he said. He didn't look anything like Kisame, he had bright blonde hair, some of it covering his right eye. "I'll kill the girl," he said, licking his lips. "Do you remember me?" his voice had come from behind Sakura. She twitched. "I fought the Kyuubi for a while."

She turned around to give a forceful punch to the face, but he punched her in the stomach quicker than she could attack. She fell over, blood jetting out of her mouth. "Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. Kisame held his sword close to Sasuke's neck. "No, fight with me." Sasuke sneered—he had no choice. Both jumped back. "She can handle herself against Deidara," Kisame yelled to Sasuke.

Deidara walked over to Sakura and looked down at her. "I was expecting more of a fight," he said. Sakura began to stand up. "You…you manipulate clay, don't you?" Deidara looked over at her. "So, you know? Did the Kyuubi boy tell you?" he asked, intrigued by her intellect. "No, I could tell." Deidara moved back a bit. Sakura looked up, her eyes fierce. "You're a clay clone." He smiled. "One hit is all it takes to have you disappear. However, you're pretty fast."

Sakura appeared from behind the clone. "I'm the real Sakura," she said as she punched the clone with her tremendous strength. It fell to the ground and turned back into clay. Sakura's own clone disappeared as well. She panted for breath. She didn't show it much during the short battle, but when the clone had punched her, it took a lot of her chakra to prevent it from being a fatal blow. The raining with Tsunade was helpful after all.

Meanwhile, the battle between Kisame and Sasuke was going on. Sasuke was at a disadvantage because he didn't have a sword. He couldn't even try hand-to-hand combat because of Kisame's sword and the long-range distance it covered. He could always summon a snake and run away now that Sakura was safe and done with her battle. However, Sasuke needed the whereabouts of his brother. It was the only thing he lived for.

Dodging and blocking alone had taken a lot of his strength. Then, there was the fact that he concentrated too much of his chakra on the Chidori. It was intended to be a fatal blow. The use of more ninjutsu was not an option. How would he win? The curse mark began to sting again. _Now of all times_, thought Sasuke. He wondered why it was hurting. Sakura was fine… He didn't know that it was trying to tell him something--valuable information. He winced for a second, leaving himself open. One strike was all it would take.

Sakura looked over from where she was and began to run. Not thinking, she stepped in the way of the sword and Sasuke. She faced him, and the sword stabbed through her gut. Sasuke looked up, surprised and stunned at what just happened. Kisame was surprised too. He removed the sword from where it was, causing Sakura to fall on Sasuke. He caught her, causing her blood to touch the surface of his hands.

She tried healing herself…but she couldn't because she had wasted too much of her chakra. "Sasuke-kun…I…" Her vision and consciousness began to fade. Soon, her whole world was darkness.

_I…_

**To be continued…Tragic, I know. Let's have it soak in a bit. **

**This is the longest of all of the chapters. It's an extra one or two pages long. Lately, the hits have gotten lower, so I decided to do something different (a little bit of everything) . Tell me if you like it this way.**

**I can't say much about the next chapter…I don't want to spoil you. All I will say is, SAKURA IS NOT DEAD. But what happens when Sasuke thinks she is? Lots of romance. **

**Oh yes, and a note: I did not make up any of these characters or anything. I did my research for the Akatsuki members. So, they actually exist…in the manga, anyway. **

**Please review!!! I really, really, really like reviews! They show me you care and actually read my story! (Lately, I haven't gotten many reviews…)**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	11. Fire in the Sand!

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 11**

Sasuke brushed her cheek with his palm. It was just as he had that same morning, only the reason as to why he was doing so was different. Her cheek was cold. He felt the side of her neck. Luckily there was a pulse, although it was very faint and took him a few seconds to feel it. Sasuke knew he had to take Sakura somewhere fast. If not, then she would surely… No, he wouldn't allow himself to think of such things.

Sasuke was blaming himself for what had happened. He had left himself open because of the small pain in his neck. Sakura was also to blame. A medical ninja should never engage in combat unless necessary. She had made the mistake before, nearly causing Lee's life to be lost and the mission's failure. This time, she made the mistake with the result being her own death. She really wasn't thinking—even if Sasuke had been stabbed by Kisame's sword, she would have been able to heal him. However, love has no reason.

Sasuke laid Sakura's head on the patch of grass behind him. Anger welled up inside him; it was such a familiar feeling, yet he hadn't felt it in a long time. He stood up and looked at Kisame with piercing eyes. Kisame smiled. "Good," he said. "I almost thought that you forgot about our--!!" _Those eyes_, thought Kisame. He was stunned and couldn't move. He had looked into Sasuke's Sharingan eyes. He tried moving back, only causing the genjutsu spell to worsen. Sasuke was letting him see hell.

"You'll tell me where he is," Sasuke said, his voice low and frightening. He walked slowly to where Kisame is. He picked him up by the collar, causing Kisame to cough softly. Sasuke's skin around his curse mark began to glow. Familiar, strange patterns appeared near it and spread throughout the rest of his skin. It was the power of the curse mark. The last time he had witnessed this kind of power with this small amount of self-control was a time also related to Sakura. He had woken up and saw her beaten up by one of the sound ninja, and immediately had a desire to kill.

"Tell me and I'll think about sparing your life." Kisame's eyes widened. Although he couldn't see much around him because of the genjutsu spell, he would see Sasuke, and he could also feel the tremendous power emanating from his body. _This kid_, he thought to himself. _This kid reminds me so much of Itachi…it's scary._ "You're a lot like your brother…you know that?" Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes filled with rage, and he threw Kisame with all of his might into the trees and bushes nearby.

Kisame's back smashed into one of the larger trees. He trembled as he tried to get up. The attack that was originally meant for Sasuke took a lot of energy from him. It was also as if, that when Sasuke held him by the collar, Kisame's chakra had been sucked out of him. It was something that Sasuke could only do seldom and without knowing. Sasuke reappeared in front of Kisame. "I'm nothing like him," he sneered. Kisame couldn't say anything. He was now only wondering where he suddenly got the burst of power.

Sasuke was really going to kill him. He had to do something… "The Akatsuki…" Sasuke twitched at the words. Was he really going to tell him? "They are currently in Sunagakure." _So, they're in the Sand_, thought Sasuke. He turned away from Kisame and walked toward Sakura. There, he picked her up and held her in his arms. Before leaving, he said to Kisame, "I'll spare your pathetic life. It's better you go on living knowing that you've betrayed your organization."

After Sasuke left, Kisame held his sword in both of his hands. He gripped it by its handle tightly. Sasuke was right, he had just betrayed the Akatsuki, and they probably already knew. Kisame died then, killing himself and by committing suicide. He died as the loyal samurais do.

"It's already been a week," Shizune said as she walked into Tsunade's office. She hated walking into Tsunade's office with bad news. "That's true," said Tsunade as she sorted through the papers on her desk. She seemed to be looking for something. "Here it is," she said to herself, holding up a small piece of crumpled paper. "It says that the Otogakure are giving us more time. Apparently, it has something to do with Orochimaru finding a temporary body." She leaned back in her chair a little.

"So then, how long…" Shizune paused. Another thing she hated was the thought of war—especially with the Sound. "They're giving us another month," Tsunade replied. A month was still a long time. It should be enough time for at least one team to pinpoint the location of Sasuke and Sakura. "It isn't as good as you think," Tsunade said. "Remember, they want Sasuke alive and brought back here. That alone is hard. And then there's Sakura…" "I'm sure she'll be fine," Shizune reassured. _I just hope you're right, Shizune_, Tsunade thought to herself as a look of uneasiness came across her face.

Sasuke had been going for nearly twenty-four hours straight. He had to get Sakura in a hospital. Normally, a trip to the Sand from where they were would have taken at least three days. But Sasuke was expecting that they arrive that night. He could tell, for the terrain had gotten more desert-like and there were fewer forests for cover. Sakura was fading fast, and every one in a while Sasuke would attempt transferring his own chakra into her. Unfortunately, having no training as a medical ninja, it never or rarely worked.

Finally, he could see it. The large village came into view. A strong wind blew sand into Sasuke's direction. It also blew away the clouds, causing a full moon to come into view. Sasuke looked down at the person who was in his arms with a serene look on his face. Then, he looked up in the direction of Sunagakure and ran forward.

It was late. The hospital lights were no longer on. The door creaked open, and a tired Sasuke with a wounded Sakura stepped inside. A young woman was asleep on the main desk of the lobby. He stepped forward. The woman noticed the sound of footsteps and opened her eyes. "Ah…what…" she began to say. _What's a hot guy doing here? Am I in heaven?_, she thought. Sasuke held Sakura a little higher so the woman could see. She saw the blood and bandages around her stomach. "Ah—Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she scrambled over to a small buzzer at the end of her desk. "H-Hello?! Is anyone awake! I need medical ninja and a stretcher right away!"

In about five minutes, the medical ninja from the sand appeared. One of them had a stretcher in his hands. A few of them leaned over Sakura and examined her. "This isn't good," one of them murmured. They took Sakura from Sasuke's arms and placed her on the stretcher. Then, they dashed away to a large room where surgery was performed. After they left, the woman from the counter giggled. Sasuke looked at her, the usual cold look on his face. "It's not everyday we have people come in the middle of the night." She stepped forward, a little leaned over, her body now in front of Sasuke.

"I've never seen you here before. Are you ninja from another village?" She smiled a girlish smile that Sasuke had seen before… He didn't answer her question. "I bet you are!" the young woman exclaimed, unable to control he excitement. "That's so cool! That's why you're not talking—you're on a top secret mission!!" Her voice was seriously annoying Sasuke. The young woman blushed and looked over to the side. "May I ask what you're name is?" He remained silent, telling her his name wouldn't be good—she could tell the authorities on him and Sakura. _Sakura…_

The young woman before him hadn't waited for his reply. She was now talking about how good-looking Sasuke was and how she _loved _cute guys. "…The Kazekage's cute too; but, he has way to many fans," she said. "Say…if you're not staying too long, do you wanna go out—" An image of a younger Sakura appeared before him. That was who he was reminded of—the old, annoying Sakura. And, it wasn't just Sakura. There were lots of other girls that acted this way in front of him. However, Sakura was the most annoying. Yet, for some reason, he missed this old Sakura. It was obvious that she began to fade away the moment Sasuke left and was never to come back. He could tell…that she was now coming back—the person that had cared for him deeply.

"Where's Sakura?" he asked, hiding his emotions. The young woman stopped talking and looked up into Sasuke's eyes. "You mean…that girl you were with?" She pointed in the direction of the stairway. "She's on the third floor—only medical ninja are allowed up there. Sorry." She was slightly surprised by what he said. There was definatly some connection between this hottie and the pink-haired girl. "Are you traveling with her?" No answer. "She looked pretty beaten up to me. What happened?" Still, no answer. One of the medical ninja walked down the steps and over to Sasuke. Was it good news, or bad news?

"Sorry…" _Sorry?!_, Sasuke thought. "She lost so much of her chakra and the wound just seems to be eating away at her body. She must have been hit pretty hard…and by something powerful, too." The young woman looked over at Sasuke, who now showed pain in his face. _That was supposed to be me…_ "One of the late elders, Chiyo-sama, may have been able to heal her with her own medical jutsu. But she sacrificed her life for our Kazekage. She doesn't have much time left…" Sasuke looked down. If she died, then… "We've never seen this kind of injury before," the medical ninja mumbled. "There is one person who probably can—" "Who is it?!" Sasuke demanded, his voice low.

"Have you ever heard of the Hokage in Konohagakure? She's one of the best medical ninja in the world. Surely she can save her. I'll just send over a message…What's your name?" Sasuke didn't say a word. He knew, that if he told his and Sakura's names, they would be caught for sure and never find the Akatsuki. On the other hand, Sakura's life was in grave danger. If she died, then something was bound to happen to Sasuke. They were connected through the curse mark which she sealed. "Excuse me, sir?" "The girl's name is Sakura," the woman said.

Both Sasuke and the medical ninja focused their attention on her. "Sakura?" asked the medical ninja. "Are you sure," the medical ninja asked, for the name Sakura sounded familiar. "Yes, Haruno Sakura," she seemed to glare at Sasuke as she said the name. "H-Haruno Sakura?!" He knew it…it was the missing nin from Konoha. He turned to Sasuke. "Then that means…" However, Sasuke was already running up the stairs to retrieve Sakura. They had gotten caught by that annoying lady. "Someone stop him! He's Uchiha Sasuke!!!" The medical ninja hoped those upstairs had heard him. Outside, lights in the hospital and in nearby houses turned on.

Sasuke dashed up the few flights of stairs and through the hallway. He could feel a large amount of chakra from one of the rooms at the end of the hallway on the third floor. He could tell Sakura was in there. Sasuke kicked down the door and stood in the doorway. The medical ninja looked up. The room was filled with a strange green light and patterns on the floor. In the center of the patterns lay Sakura, her eyes still closed and her would still open. "We're still operating in here, sir! Please leave!" Sasuke could feel many footsteps behind him. _I have to get out of here!_

He ran into the middle of the circle-like patterns to were Sakura was. The patterns began to glow. "Oh-Oh no!" a woman's voice yelled. "This is bad!" exclaimed another. The medical ninja ran out of the room, knowing an explosion would occur. Sasuke picked Sakura up. She felt light and weak. He turned to the window behind them—he was going to jump—and saw a dark figure… He squinted, something about the figure seemed familiar.

The clouds blew away and the moonlight shone on the figure's face. Sasuke's eyes widened and the patterns began to glow brighter. Standing there and looking up was Uchiha Itachi, his Mangekyo Sharingan showing. Sasuke used his own Sharingan to stare back into the eyes of his brother. He began to use the Chidori Nagashi, making sure that the electric currents wouldn't harm Sakura's body. The patterns on the ground suddenly turned into patterns of fire and the fire was sucked into Sakura's body. _What's going on?_ There was a huge explosion in the hospital. The townspeople of Sunagakure began to wake up and step into the middle of the street. There were many whispers and murmurs. Itachi turned his back at the hospital and walked away. The fire behind him caused his hair and clothing to move gracefully in the wind. "Foolish brother," he said to himself. "I was looking forward to killing you myself. What a nice reunion it could have been." _You did surprise me…when my Mangekyo Sharingan did not effect you at all. _

"You're right," said a voice. Itachi turned around, then turned forward where Sasuke stood. _So, he has developed._ "Except, I'll be the one to kill you." Sakura stepped forward from behind Sasuke. The patterns that were on the floor in the hospital had been for healing. The only problem was exerting a large enough amount of chakra into her body. Sasuke had been the one to do it. He wasn't surprised after Sakura had explained the procedure to him. "Sakura, don't look into his eyes," Sasuke whispered. She immediately looked at the ground. She didn't get to see much of his face, but she saw the resemblance between the two brothers. "So this is the man that killed your clan," Sakura stated. "This is my fight," Sasuke said, coolly.

"Brother…may I ask you why you're bringing a _weak girl_ with you?" Sakura clenched her fist. "Could it be that you…" Itachi stopped himself from talking. "You're wasting my time. Right now, I'm looking for Naruto-kun. He's supposed to be coming here soon." Sasuke twitched. "What's so special about him?!" Itachi smirked. "Little brother, you are weak." Those were…the words. They were the words that always haunted Sasuke. Sasuke charged forward. "I am not weak!"

_A frontal attack? My, just when I thought you had gotten stronger_, thought Itachi. He disappeared and reappeared behind Sasuke. "You really are…weak." Sasuke smiled and turned around. He made fast hand signs, he had memorized this jutsu by heart. Itachi recognized the signs. "Don't tell me…" "Katon! Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke exclaimed as and enormous fireball formed in his mouth. He released it and it surged toward Itachi. Itachi merely dodged it by stepping to the side. "A frontal attack won't—!!" He turned around, and saw the fireball coming back for him. Sasuke had learned how to move it using an immense amount of chakra.

Itachi smiled. _The more I keep dodging, the more chakra he has to use to keep it following me. A clever plan, brother, but I'm an Uchiha too. _Itachi made the same hand signs. _Katon! Gokakyu no Jutsu! _Another large fireball appeared. Sakura had her hand over her forehead, the heat had become unbearable. She couldn't leave. If she left Sasuke for too long, then he would feel the pain of the curse mark again. Luckily, his brother didn't know that. Or did he?

The two great fireballs clashed together and caused another explosion. Fire began to rain over Sunagakure. The hospital nearby was already engulfed in fire. Sakura stepped back a little. The power she felt was huge. She didn't know Sasuke had this kind of power. Whenever she was going to witness it, the curse mark had interfered. But now, it was different. She heard a small child's cry behind her and turned around. "M..Mommy," the child said, tears filled in his eyes. Sakura kneeled over. "What's wrong?" "Mommy is inside that hospital." He pointed toward the burning building. Sakura turned toward the hospital. "I wish I could…oh! That's it!" She made a basic hand sign and a bunshin, or clone, appeared. "Go inside the hospital and find his mother," Sakura commanded. The bunshin nodded and ran off. "Everything will be alright." Sakura smiled at the child.

Meanwhile, the fight was going on and wasn't close to stopping. Both still had a good amount of energy and chakra left. "Impressive," Itachi said. "Stop toying with me!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Whatever do you mean?" Sasuke clenched his teeth. He could tell that his brother was going easy on him. He had expected more of a fight. "You've come so far," Itachi said. "Why don't you just accept the fact that you've gotten stronger?" _Stop lying!_, Sasuke thought.

"You're right. I was toying with you. Now, I'll have to kill you; this fight has taken too much of my precious time." Itachi's voice had come from behind Sasuke. Sasuke smirked. Finally, he was being taken seriously.

**To Be Continued. XP**

**So, Kisame's dead. I hated him anyway, that freaky friend of Itachi's…you should hate him too.**

**I didn't feel like translating Sasuke's and Itachi's katon whatever. You should know what it is. This one is slightly longer than the last one… making it the longest chapter ever! The more reviews I get, the better I do (I think).**

**Next Chappy: The showdown between the two brothers continue! I know, you all hate my action but love my romance. But, I have to stick to the style of Masashi Kishimoto (creator of Naruto…a true genius) or it just won't feel right. Oh, and Naruto's team gets sent home. Don't worry, there's gonna be the right amount of romance and drama. **

**All I ask is that you review. I need ideas and suggestions as well. Thank you for all of the reviews on the last chapter. It makes me wonder…how should I end this?**

**Much Love.**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	12. Return to Konoha part 1

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 12**

Sakura couldn't take it. The anxiety was too much for her. She could sense that Itachi was stronger than Sasuke. He hadn't even shown the extent of his power. Both Itachi and Sasuke disappeared from her eyesight. _What? Where did they…_ She heard punching and kicking sounds and looked around. They were still nowhere to be seen. Then Sakura knew; they were moving so fast that the normal human eye wouldn't be able to detect them. She was impressed. However, this caused her stomach to tighten even more. If she couldn't see what happened…then…she thought of the worst.

She looked in the direction of the hospital. Her clone hadn't come back yet, nor had it been destroyed. It didn't matter now, for the small boy had run away when the battle had gotten "scary," as he said. Sakura could hear voices now…but she couldn't make out what the words were. She could hear her name… Sasuke suddenly reappeared, standing, in front of Sakura. "Sasuke-kun?" He gasped for breath and held the left side of his neck. Itachi appeared as well, but he looked uninjured in every way. "Sakura…" Sasuke said. She could tell he was trying to tell her something important.

"What is it?" she asked. "Move," he murmured. "Wha—" Sasuke pushed her as far as he could. "Get out of here!" he yelled. Itachi disappeared and Sasuke did so after him, as if to follow him. Sakura sat up from where she was. The ground began to shake as she stood up. A large crack emerged where dust and rubble were flying. A strong gust blew in Sakura's direction. Sakura had her arm over her face to protect it and to steady herself. _This is too strong_, she thought. _Is it…Sasuke-kun or…_

The wind stopped and it seemed that all of Sunagakure was quiet. No one noticed that a figure stepped into the battlefield. Sasuke let out a yell and was tossed aside by what seemed to be an enormous amount of chakra. "Sasuke-kun!!" She moved over to where he was. "Ugh…" He tried to hold his body up, but didn't even have enough strength left to do so. Sakura noticed that his body was heavily bruised. What had happened? Even after training with Orochimaru, Sasuke still didn't have the strength to defeat his brother. Itachi smiled. "You thought you could beat me with new training and jutsu? My, little brother, you are fascinating. However I just applaud you on acquiring new speed."

_He…He seems to…_ "Do you enjoy torturing people?" Sakura asked, her voice surprisingly steady. Sasuke's body jerked. "Stay out of this…" _Interesting_, thought Itachi. "I'll let you live, dear brother," Itachi said. "That is, if you let me try something." "I don't want too—!" Sasuke began to object Itachi appeared in front of Sasuke, his face dangerously close to his. Sasuke's opal-colored shone. "Excellent," Itachi murmured to himself. _Mangekyo Sharingan! _Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes widened. Sakura immediately looked down, remembering Sasuke's words. She wasn't to look in his eyes. Sasuke however had been caught. Without his own Sharingan to counter, he soon found himself caught in a genjutsu spell far worse than his own.

He fell over, directing and hiding his face in the dirt. He knew he would loose his consciousness of what was around him and didn't want Sakura to see how it would look like… "Sakura," he said, his voice in a different tone that she hadn't heard in a long time. "Don't worry." He smiled, as well, however no one could see. She wiped away a few tears that were starting to form in her eyes. His voice was just so calming and soothing to her ear, and she knew he was trying to make her feel better. "But didn't you say that looking directly in his eyes is dangerous?" There was no reply. "Sasuke-kun?" The wind blew and Sasuke began to tremble. Sasuke trembling was not a good sign. "Sasuke-kun?!"

Sasuke heard his name and turned in all directions. "Sasuke-kun…" The soft, female voice began to fade away. He looked up. There was a red moon in the sky and it cast a red light, giving off the sign of blood. He turned around and the scene suddenly changed, except for the red light. "Naruto," a younger, 12-year old Sasuke said. "You're one of the ones I want to fight." Naruto's eyes widened and Sakura looked up from her crying.

_The scene switched again, now to Squad 7's first real mission. A long haired Sakura stepped in front of Tazuna, the bridge builder, from a deadly attack. The younger Sasuke noticed this and stepped in front of Sakura. Time suddenly froze. "How about…" It was Itachi's voice. The red moon appeared and Sakura was being slaughtered in front of Sasuke. While this was happening, her voice and words were coming from everywhere… The last scene was of a familiar place…Sasuke's home in Konoha. He watched as the younger version of himself walked around in circles calling out to the same people—his mother and father. _

"_They're dead!" Sasuke yelled. His 8-year old version screamed back. "They are not dead! I just showed Daddy I could do the Katon!!" Naruto appeared, in his older version. "C'mon kid, it's time you moved on," he said as he patted younger Sasuke's back. Anger boiled inside Sasuke. However, his younger version smiled at Naruto's kind gesture. Sasuke's eyes widened. Suddenly, crosses appeared from out of the ground and everyone that was precious to Sasuke was on one. Itachi was now making him witness how each one of them died, and their last words. The last one to die was Sakura and her last words were…_

Sasuke's whole body shook now, and his fingers were digging into the dirt. Sakura had a worried look on her face. "I…I don't know what to do," she said softly. She tried waking him up a few times—Sasuke's yelling was hard for her to bear—but all her efforts were in vain. Sakura heard footsteps and threw a kunai in that direction. "Whoa," said a voice. The figure stepped out of the shadows. "Hey, I know you. You're one of Naruto's friends…Sakura, right?" "K-Kankuro-san!" Sakura exclaimed. At first, it was hard to recognize him since he didn't have any makeup or face paintings on. At least he wasn't from the Akatsuki or Orochimaru's subordinates. She moved back. Surely he knew that she and Sasuke were missing ninjas from Konoha. The reward was even high.

"So why are you here," he asked. "And in the middle of the night too…" Sakura softly gasped. _He doesn't know?_ It was a big surprise. "Who's that with you?" Kankuro asked as he walked toward Sasuke. "Ah! Wait, don't…!" Sasuke's body stopped moving and he slowly woke up from his trance. He sat up and turned toward Sakura. "Sakura," he said. "You're alright." However, her attention was on someone else. Sasuke turned to see what she was looking at. "I-It's you!" Kankuro exclaimed. _I came over to see what all of the yelling was about…but I didn't know…_ "I completely forgot you traveled together!" He reached for something behind him. _Dammit! I forgot Sanshouo!_ , he thought, referring to his new puppet. He looked back up. _There's nothing I can do…_

"Who are you?" asked Sasuke monotonously. Meanwhile, Sakura was devising a plan. She was aware that Sasuke was just trying to buy time by asking a question he already knew the answer to. She looked around at their surroundings. There wasn't anything she found useful. _What can I…_ Her eyes closed as she sighed. She had no choice. Her sigh had attracted the attention of Kankuro and he looked at her. She glared back and punched him in the stomach. He spit out blood and fell to the ground. Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. "I still feel a little bad." "It won't matter," said Sasuke. He was already several feet ahead of Sakura. "He couldn't have gotten far," Sasuke said, referring to his brother. He turned. "Are you coming?" "Yeah."

The next day…At about an hour before noon, Two teams made it to Sunagakure, not knowing that they were several hours late. Naruto stretched both his arms out. "So, where are we meeting Kakashi-sensei?" He turned toward Sai and Temari's team. There was a gloomy air around them. They were all dragging there feet to get where Naruto was and had bruises all over their bodies. "Eh? What's wrong?" Naruto asked, which was a big mistake. "What's wrong?!" Ino quoted, her tone angrier. "I'll tell you what's wrong!" A vein appeared in the corner of her forehead. "You've been slowing us down and getting us into so much trouble, Naruto!" Naruto stepped back, she was getting scary…again.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we missed something important! Or, if _they_ have already been here!!" Naruto moved back even more, at least she wasn't hitting him the way Sakura would, he wouldn't take his chances. "Oomph…" said a voice from behind Naruto. He turned toward the person. "I'm sorry." He began to scratch the back of his head. "Oh yes, please forgive Naruto's stupidity and clumsiness," Ino said. "Ino, will you quit it," Shikamaru asked. He hated the sound of Ino's noise. "Shikamaru's right. At least we're here," Temari said. Ino turned toward them. "Yeah sure, just go on and agree with your _boyfriend_," she said, putting emphasis on the last word. Both Shikamaru and Temari blushed.

"No need to apologize," said a familiar voice to Naruto. Naruto focused on the face, or on the one eye he could see. "Kakashi-sensei!" He turned toward the crowd behind him. "Look, I found Kakashi-sensei!" Choji continued to munch on his bag of potato chips. "That's good," he said with his mouth full. "Yeah, it's great. Now you can leave us," Shikamaru said. Ino smacked him. "What are you talking about?! When Naruto leaves, so does Sai!" Shikamaru stood up. "Yeah, but I'm a guy who's not into guys." That pissed off Ino even more.

Meanwhile, Sai had been very quiet. He wasn't listening to Ino or Shikamaru or anyone around him. He was thinking of Sakura, as usual. He just couldn't get her image out of his head. "…Actually, you guys have missed something," Kakashi said, in response to Naruto's question. The sentence caught Sai's attention. "Come, follow me," Kakashi said. "I'm sure he'll explain everything to you."

The group arrived in the Suna hospital and Kakashi led them to a small room. "Kankuro!" Temari exclaimed. "What are you…" Kankuro sat up in the small bed. "It's nothing major," he said. "They just found me lying on the ground, that's all." "Lying on the ground?" Naruto repeated. "Yeah, I saw this huge fight between these two forces—" "Sasuke and Itachi," Kakashi interrupted. Naruto twitched at Sasuke's name. "Huh," asked Kankuro. "You said you saw them both use a powerful fire technique, and that later you saw Sasuke with Sakura, shaking." "SASUKE WITH SAKURA?!?!!!" Naruto yelled. "WHERE--?!?!!" "Calm down, Naruto. Let us explain," Kakashi said, calmly.

"Well, to make it short, I saw Sasuke fight this Itachi that you're talking about. I went to see what happened, but I didn't have any of my puppets with me, so I couldn't fight back. Well, Sakura could tell that I was going to turn them in the moment she saw me, so I faked that I forgot. But," Kankuro looked up at Naruto. "She's smart, and so she knocked me out." "Knocked out by a girl, Kankuro?" asked Temari, teasingly. "So…where are could they be now?" Naruto's voice was pretty serious. "No one knows," Kakashi answered. "Now since everyone knows what is going on, Sai and Naruto, will you come with me? We'll be splitting up now."

The three walked until they got outside the hospital. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this mission short—Hokage's orders." "What?!" yelled Naruto. "No exactly 'cut short'…but Godiame-sama says to take you two back to Konoha. It's something important." "What could be more important than—" Sai stepped forward. "I understand, but…Wouldn't that take us a while?" The truth was, it hurt Sai deeply as well that they had to return instead of search for Sakura and Sasuke. But orders were orders. "Have you ever heard of Konoha's yellow flash?" He didn't wait for an answer. "He was my sensei, the Fourth Hokage." "What does that have to do with anything?" asked Naruto. He hated it when Kakashi beat around the bushes; why didn't he just get to the point?

"He taught me a technique that I was only able to perfect now with my Mangekyo Sharingan. I'll show you. We have to hold hands." Naruto and Sai looked back at each other. "Why do I—" Sai grabbed Naruto's hand before he was able to finish. The three suddenly disappeared…

…and reappeared at the gates of Konohagakure. "Wh-Whoa!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi collapsed.

After some resting, the three were able to visit Tsunade's office, as she asked. "Naruto," she said. "I have good news." He looked up, still mad that she stopped the mission when they were getting close. "What?" Tsunade ignored his tone. "Jiraiya has told me some things…and I've decided that you should be a Chunin." "What about the Chunin exams? Didn't they just end?" He was trying to hold back yelling at her at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the room—Shizune, Kakashi, Sai, and Tsunade--were surprised. Why wasn't he jumping around like his energetic, normal self?

"The…The other way is by appointment." Tsunade tried to steady her voice. "So, Congratulations on becoming a Chu—" He couldn't hold it in anymore. "You called me back for something as stupid as this?!!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs. Tsunade's eyes grew wide. This wasn't like him… "I could be out there looking for Sasuke and Sakura…or, or…Even fighting Sasuke!!! What a stupid waste of time!!!" Sai looked down. For once Naruto was making sense. Naruto stomped toward the door, but Shizune was blocking it. "Move," he demanded. "N-Naruto…" Her voice was quiet. "NARUTO!" boomed Tsunade from behind him. He turned.

"What is it now, old lady?!" he snapped. "Naruto." Her voice was serious. "Wasn't it once your dream to become Hokage?" Naruto flinched. Kakashi looked back from Naruto and Tsunade. "It was." There was too much on his mind to think of such things. Shizune's eyes widened and Sai looked back up. He pushed through Kakashi and Shizune and slammed the door as he left.

**To Be Continued. This chapter mainly focused on Naruto…and the ending is slightly depressing. **

**I know..you hate me. Sasuke didn't win against Itachi. But if you watch the anime and/or read the manga, there is absolutely no way he could win. But still, we love Sasuke and his hotness, or good looks. **

**Sooo…the next chapter is part 2 of the Return to Konoha chapters. Naruto is forced to stay in Konoha because of his bad attitude toward Tsunade. As for our favorite couple, Sasuke and Sakura, they find out a secret about the Akatsuki and the war that changes e v e r y t h i n g…okay, not everything, but it does change the storyline by a lot. **

**Please review. Feel free to give ideas and suggestions. **

**_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_**


	13. Return to Konoha part 2

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**edit: typos..everywhere**

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 13**

The door to the Kazekage's office creaked open, letting Kankuro and Temari step inside. "Where do you think it is?" asked Temari as she stepped over cautiously to the Kazekage's desk. Kankuro shrugged, as if he knew. "Hurry, or we'll get caught." Temari shuffled through the papers and files on the desk. "Yeah, I know," she said. "If anything, what we're looking for would be locked up…" A small noise from the door was heard and Kankuro and Temari froze. One of the Suna elders, Ebizo, if Temari was correct, walked inside. "Eh…what are you two doing here so early in the morning?" They had to act cool…

Temari smiled her normal smile. Kankuro however, focused on the wooden floor. "We're just doing some business for Gaara," Temari said. "You know how he's in Konoha…" Her voice got quieter; she was thinking of what to do next. "Ebizo-baa-sama, do you know where Gaara keeps his secret files?" She smiled as she spoke. However, a small sweat drop appeared in the corner of her forehead. Kankuro glanced at Temari. Luckily, Ebizo did not notice this. "You don't know?" Ebizo asked. Temari stepped closer to her younger brother. "Well, you know Gaara…Ehehe…" Ebizo turned toward the closed door. "All I know is, Gaara-sama keeps all files in this room."

Temari and Kankuro stepped out of the large building. Both disappeared into puffs of smoke. Sasuke and Sakura stepped out of the smoke. Sakura held the scroll, containing the information they needed. "That was close," she said as she sighed. However, Sasuke was more concerned with the stolen information. "Give it to me." Sakura handed it over. "You want to open it now?" she asked. He ignored the question. "You said that this was found along with other items from the Akatsuki, right?" Sakura nodded. "They're gone now. But, they must have accidentally left this at their hideout here." "This could show us their current or next location." "Exactly," Sakura replied. "That's why I took it."

Sasuke smirked. It was good he had someone of high intelligence on his side. The two walked all the way to a large hill overlooking Sunagakure, where Sasuke decided it was safe to open the scroll. He carefully unrolled the paper. Sakura, who sat beside him, leaned over for a closer look. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other to clarify if they had seen the same thing, and they had. Sakura was the first to look back at the scroll. _This is…!_

_-- --_

Naruto stared at his bowl of ramen, which was surprisingly untouched. Ramen was normally for a happy occasion or when he was feeling better. What had just happened the day before was bittersweet. He had gone home and lay on his bed, thinking, the whole day. It wasn't something that he would normally do, but as he heard Kakashi tell Tsunade after he stormed out he was "maturing." _Whatever that means_, Naruto thought to himself. Because of his attitude, he had been told by Sai after the meeting, he wasn't able to leave town or search for Sasuke and Sakura until Tsunade said so. And that was until she got an apology. "Apology, my ass!" Naruto had yelled, slamming his door right in Sai's bewildered face.

The next morning, Kiba and Shino visited Naruto and decided that the best way to cheer him up was to treat him to ramen. Once at the stand, both noticed something was terribly wrong. "Hey, you're lucky!" Kiba exclaimed once he was finished with his own ramen—Naruto's was still uneaten. "Now you won't have to take those Chunin exams. They take up way to much time," he commented. Naruto shrugged. "I guess." Meanwhile, millions of things were going on in his mind. How could Tsunade do this to him? He was so close to Sasuke and Sakura…and then had to let go. Why was it always like that? Why did Sakura have to run away too? What were they doing now? What if Sakura was dead? What if Sasuke was dead? What if…

"Eat it," Shino threatened, his face close to Naruto's. Naruto was completely unaffected. "Hm, I thought it would work." "Well, it scared the crap outta me!" exclaimed Kiba, who had fallen off his seat. Shino turned to Kiba and helped him up. "Sorry." Naruto slammed his fist on the stand, attracting the attention of Shino and Kiba. "Hey, what's wrong…" Kiba murmured. "Weren't you also sent to look for Sasuke and Sakura-chan?!" "Yeah, but…" Naruto grabbed Kiba by his collar. "Then, why'd you give up?!" He yelled. "Argh…Naruto, you're choking…m..me…" Naruto threw him down and ran away. "Hm, Godiame-sama said to look after him," Shino said. Kiba stood, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, who knew it would be so hard…?"

-- --

Sasuke and Sakura leaped from tree to tree. Who knew they could get this far in a couple of hours? There was the fact that no one was dragging the other behind and there were no injuries. Sakura looked and Sasuke, who was in front of her, and what he was holding. _That scroll…_ She remembered what it said. Positions for a war with Konohagakure were written down, as were their next victims…Naruto and Gaara. _It makes sense now_, Sakura thought. _The reason they came here was to kill Gaara-san, but he's in Konoha. So, if they go to Konoha, it'll be a double win…they'll get Naruto-kun and Gaara san! _Sakura looked at the grass below her feet. _However, the Konoha ninja and military are quite strong…_ "Ah! I understand now!" She exclaimed. Sasuke turned around and began to slow down. "What is it you understand," he asked, as he stood on a thick tree branch.

"The Akatsuki…they're planning to invade Konoha along with the Sound." Sasuke didn't seem to understand what was going on as well as she did. She could sense this, because of the look on his face. "We know that they want Gaara-san and…Naruto-kun," her voice was low on the last word. "That alone requires a lot of Akatsuki members, probably all, if not most. And, they're chances of completing this goal increase if they join the Sound in this war. It's…It's the same war that we've been hearing about." "If that's true…" Sasuke mumbled under his breath. "If they are forming and alliance, as the scroll states, then the Akatsuki and Otogakure are after Gaara-san, Naruto-kun, and you!!"

"What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "We'll warn them about the invasion, I guess." There was a large amount of indifference in his voice. "Y-You want to warn them?" Sakura asked, making sure she heard what she heard. "Them" didn't mean Konoha. She knew who he was referring to… "Yes. A big war would make things more complicated." Sasuke leaped onto the next tree branch. "We better hurry if we want to beat them to Konoha." Sakura followed. Sakura smiled. _It looks like you still have some feelings toward Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun._ She did not know that she was the cause of this change. At least, not yet.

-- --

Naruto stopped running when he thought he was far enough. He knew Tsunade had sent Shino and Kiba to watch him. She never trusted him. "Oh great," Naruto said, sarcastically when he looked at his surroundings. He was in the training area—the place where he, along with Sakura and Sasuke, had first became Genin. He sat down and leaned his back against one of the poles. He remembered the times when they were all just children, and everyone was happy. Now, everything seemed complicated. "So you are here," said a voice. Naruto turned his head. Sai walked over and sat beside Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei told me that you might be here." Naruto didn't bother to reply.

Sai looked up at the clouds. "You're lucky you grew up here. It's full of…happy people." _Do I look happy to you_, Naruto thought and almost said. "That outburst from you, it surprised me." "Of course it did," Naruto said. "It was an _outburst_." "That wasn't what I meant," Sai said, his focus still on the moving, white clouds above. "You were making sense. Although I didn't say anything, I could relate." "Did Tsunade-baa-chan send you to look after me, too?" Naruto asked. Sai turned toward Naruto and smiled his mischievous smile. "Of course not," he answered. _That smile…_ "I think…we're all in love with Sakura-san." "Eh?"

Sai faced Naruto. "Sasuke, you, and me. You told me you had a crush on her once…and we saw that Sasuke hadn't killed her yet." He shrugged, trying to hide the small lines of pink on his cheeks. "Well, at least I know it's true for me." Naruto stared. "Wait, what?" Sai sighed—he had a feeling Naruto wouldn't understand. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand." _Geez, Sai is so weird_, Naruto thought to himself. _There's no way he'd know what love is by just reading about it in the library._ However Sai knew exactly what love was. He could tell, that in their own special ways, all three of them—Sasuke, Naruto, and himself—were after the same girl. He could also tell to which one she could return mutual feelings…

"Ah…um, Naruto-kun," a soft voice said. Naruto and Sai turned. "H-Hokage-sama is looking for you," Hinata said, not looking Naruto directly in the eyes. Naruto stood. "Yeah, I'm aware," he said as he ran his fingers through his blonde locks. He didn't look Hinata in the eyes either. The sunlight seemed to hit him at the perfect angle. After a short glance, Hinata thought she was going to faint…again. Sai looked from Naruto to Hinata. He closed his eyes and smiled. "You're so naïve," he murmured. "Eh?" Hinata nearly fell over, she knew what he meant. She got back to what she was saying. "So…Hokage-sama wants you in her office right away!" she exclaimed.

Naruto sighed. There was no point in arguing—it wasn't as if he had anything else that was better to do. Besides, if he sucked up enough, Tsunade may let him go back on following Sasuke's and Sakura's trail…alone. He smiled at the thought. It would be nice if she did. "Yeah alright," Naruto sighed as he walked past Hinata.

-- --

Two weeks had passed since Sasuke and Sakura left Sunagakure. The attack on Konohagakure was to be in one more week. The raven-haired ninja stopped at the edge of a cliff. He stared at the scene before him. Sakura caught up with him, out of breath as usual. The cool, evening breeze blew her hair in many directions. "Sasuke-kun, what is it? Why'd we stop?" She panted while saying this. There was no reply from Sasuke. Sakura looked at what was below. "Konoha," she whispered, then looked back at Sasuke. For some reason, just looking at the place made the Uchiha feel…somewhat depressing—more depressing than usual. _Maybe_, Sakura thought. _He's beginning to feel a little guilty. I've never seen him look at a place like that. _And yet, the thought of Sasuke feeling guilt made Sakura a little more happier.

"Well…" Sasuke said after a long break of silence. Just looking at the village made him…sick. Naruto's face appeared the moment he laid his eyes on Konoha. His former teammate's face reminded him of bad dreams. Sasuke sat down on the grassy hill. Sakura followed. "We still have time. Let's camp out here for the night." Fireflies that came out of nowhere buzzed around Sakura and she waved her hand back and forth to keep them away. She didn't know that the reason Sasuke wanted to camp outside was because he was scared of going into Konoha. Then again, Sasuke didn't know either.

There were just too many memories in that place. Bad ones, good ones, just too many to count. And with memories came emotions. With emotions came weakness. So says Sasuke's logic and way of thinking. There were many things he was yet to discover. Such as, the fact that, emotions could also make you stronger. Such as fighting for the one you love. It was what made Naruto stronger than Sasuke. He didn't know that either. But he was about to find out…

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura didn't like the awkward silences between them. She also didn't like it when they talked about their next plan and the war and government issues. They were still teenagers, after all. Teenagers that were forced to grow up, but teenagers nonetheless. "How was it like when you were with…you know, Orochimaru?" It wasn't what she had intended to say, but still important. If Sakura was ever to tap into Sasuke's black heart and bring him back, she had to start with the years that were missed. "Hn.." That was Sasuke's response before he rolled over on the grass, his face no longer facing the kunoichi's. Sakura sighed. As always, it was pointless talking to him. The question was somewhat of a deep one, after all.

"Sakura." His voice surprised her and she jumped a little. "Get some sleep." It sounded like a command. Sakura dug in her pack and took out a straw mat which she slept on. There was no need for a blanket—the air was cool and fresh, but not cold. As Sakura lay on her mat and looked up at the night sky she remembered… This was the place where she and her comrades from Konoha would come and watch for shooting stars. Every time Naruto would find one, he'd yell out that that certain one was his and murmur a certain name. Sakura was always the only one to hear the name. It may have been because she was right next to him, or that she was so used to saying the name herself. "Sasuke…" Naruto would quietly say.

The pink haired kunoichi soon found herself crying, and sat up, wiping her tears and sniffing. Sasuke sat up as well with a concerned look on his face. Sakura glanced over at the face and covered her own with her two hands. She was crying, again. How embarrassing. Weren't guys tired of her crying? Even if she _hadn't _cried when Naruto was gone…Sasuke didn't know that. "I'm annoying." The muffled words had come from under her hands. Sasuke looked slightly surprised. Hadn't he said something like that? Oh, great…more bad memories. He now wished to erase them all.

"And, I cry too much." Weren't girls supposed to cry? That's what made girls…girls. Sasuke wondered if he did something to make her cry. Never once did her crying annoy him. If anything, it showed that she cared. There was somewhere who cared. He may have said it was "annoying" in the past…It was anything but annoying. Or maybe she was lingering on the past. Sasuke did that too, but never cried about it—except when he was little. _But she's a girl._ The Uchiha moved in closer and removed the hands from the face. He stared at her and she stared at him. Why was it that Sakura always looked better when she cried?

Sakura however, thought she looked worse with red cheeks, eyes, and a red nose. She covered up her face again. "Sakura." This time, he said her name gently. She brought her hands down and rested them, on her lap. "Sasuke-kun…?" "Hm?" She was afraid to say it…she hadn't said something of the sort in nearly over 2 ½ years. But, it was how she felt.

"I…I love you."

Sasuke was taken aback a little. He hadn't expected _that_. Even if she was Haruno Sakura. It was the tone of her voice as well. She was serious. She wasn't begging him. She had said so simply. That was part of the many wonders of Sakura.

Sakura turned. She hadn't expected an immediate response—or a response at all. Even if he did respond, they would probably he shrugs, smirks…The Sasuke-like things. But, no. She felt it a few seconds after she turned around; the presence of someone very close behind her. Before she knew it, Sasuke's arms were around her. A warm rush flowed throughout her whole body. She hadn't felt such warmth—inside and out—since she hugged Sasuke to stop the curse mark from taking over. However, he wasn't just hugging her. It was more. His arms were around her.

He moved his face closer to hers. Sakura shuddered when she looked at it. They were…really close. Then, his lips touched hers.

Above in the sky, a shooting star fell. Sakura made a silent wish before closing her eyes and letting her emotions take over.

Nearby in Konoha, Naruto was making a wish on the same star.

Both didn't know that the falling star was a sign from Orochimaru to the Akatsuki. No one would have ever guessed that a great war and invasion was to begin the following day.

**To be continued…Lot's of fluff…but I know you (or most of you) like fluff. So, there. Also, if you hadn't noticed I put page break-like things. And, I'm learning how to pre-write. I am so smart (kidding…kinda). **

**Next Chapter: Team 7 reunites…That says a lot in itself, doesn't it? The war begins and Sasuke has to make a decision…a very important decision.**

**I love reviews…especially the long ones. (In other words, PLEASE REVIEW!) **

**Rainy Days Never Stay (RDNS) isn't ending anytime soon. **

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	14. Confusion: The Invasion Begins!

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 14**

There. She felt it. A pressure on her ribs woke Sakura up. Well, not exactly a 'pressure.' It was warm, warmer than any blanket she had covered herself in; yet, when touched it was cold. She finally focused on the objects and, when she did, silently screeched. Sasuke's arms…were…around her. Sakura didn't even remember falling asleep the night before. She and Sasuke had made out passionately, hugged, made out some more…that was all she remembered. It was obvious now that they had _slept_ together, not that it meant they _did_ anything. That, she would have remembered.

The kunoichi tried hard to move his fair arms ever so gently, trying not to wake him up. And oh, how lovely he looked when asleep. So calm, so peaceful…she shook her head back and forth to stop herself from getting distracted first thing in the morning. Finally, Sakura was out of the tangle that she was in. _Why had I waken up so early?_ She thought, annoyed. The sun wasn't even up, if not barely rising. The bluish tints of the sky meshed with a pale orange in the east. In the direction of the east was Konoha. Who knew that the sun rose over Konoha? Sakura dug in her pack, took out a floral-patterned pink—from when she was a child—and decided to take a walk to pass the early morning hours.

Sakura walked, brushed her hair, and thought. Finally, her thoughts went to Sasuke…her face turned red and she held both of her cheeks, cradling her face, in a sense. _Oh. My God. I can't believe…_ Her thoughts were stopped bye sounds—footsteps to be exact. _People here? This early? _Then came the words.

"Dammit," said a female voice. "Why the hell do we have to wait? We should just attack them now and get the whole thing over with. It'll be easier."

"No." The second voice was a deep, male voice. "We have to wait for Orochimaru-sama's signal and _them_…besides…" He stepped to the side. Sakura moved closer to the tree in front of her. She was hiding behind it. "I didn't know you'd be here so soon. Where's Orochimaru-sama?" The deep voice asked.

A gray-haired ninja appeared out of nowhere to the two. "Don't worry, he's coming," he said with a smile. "We're planning to attack at the same time—around noon." Sakura knew that voice…why was he here? The war wasn't supposed to start until…_Unless_, thought Sakura. _Unless, they…_

"It's so stupid," the orange-haired female said. "We should attack now, when everyone's sleeping." "Orochimaru-sama has his reasons." The ninja adjusted his glasses and looked over in the direction where Sakura was standing. "Now…" Sakura ran away as fast as she could. She could feel his eyes on her. Not only that, but she had to tell Sasuke and the rest of Konoha. Meanwhile, back at the Sound campsite, Kabuto picked up a certain brush and noticed the few pink hair strands on it. "So they're here," he murmured, crushing the brush. "Perfect. That'll save us the time of chasing you…Sasuke."

-- --

Naruto was awake as well. He walked through the vacant streets like a ghost. What else was there to do when you weren't allowed to leave Konohagakure? He passed a certain mansion where he heard sound of training on the other sides of the fancy fence. "Ha! Ha!" Someone—a female—was attacking the other. Honestly, who trained this early in the morning? Only morons, as Naruto admit he was, woke up this early. "Alright, Hinata-sama!" Ah, he was in Hyuga territory. That explained that. Neji and Hinata were training. A loud punching sound was heard. Naruto stopped himself from walking another step. _What just happened? _Then, came the sound of one falling. "Hinata-sama!"

The blonde leaped, very gracefully, over the fence. He landed in front of Hinata, who was on the ground, and Neji, who sat over and appeared to be examining her. "Why are you here," Neji asked. "I'm bored," Naruto replied, honestly. Really, what was a bored guy supposed to do these days? Neji made some sort of smirking sound—not so much a smirk as Sasuke's—and stood. "She'll be fine," he said, looking at the heiress's face. "Why don't you take care of her…I'm sure she'd like it." "E-Eh?" Neji yawned, which was very unlike him. But, since being defeated by Naruto at the Chunin exam finals, he had begun to show more emotion and become more human. "As for me, I'm going home."

"What the--! Neji, you can't go and leave me with—" The Hyuga continued walking, ignoring what Naruto was saying. While training with Hinata that morning, he had mentioned Naruto's name. Doing so caused Hinata to loose focus, and she ended up unable to block his attack. Although it was his duty to protect her, Neji knew that Hinata would much rather prefer Naruto—especially after not seeing him for a few years.

A rooster crowed loudly on one of the Hyuga rooftops. Naruto's yelling was, unsurprisingly, louder than the animal's. "Neji!!! You son-of-a—" Hinata's eyes were open and she sat up, rubbing her head. "Such a loud noise," she muttered. Then, she realized who it was. "Eh, oh—you!" Then came more and more attempted words and stammers. Naruto smiled. He'd have to give her points on being cute. "Since you're awake, do you want to…you know, hang out?"

Hinata blushed. Her whole face looked like a giant tomato. "S-Sure," she replied. "L-like a da—!" Her last word—which was going to be 'date'—was cut off as Naruto grabbed her hand. _I'm holding his hand! _And such warm hands they were. "C'mon, then! It's still early and if we make it in time, I'll show you the Konoha sunrise!" Being bored out of his mind, there was nothing better to do.

A few hours later…

Hinata laughed at one of Naruto's jokes. She had been laughing all day at them…even though they weren't funny at all. It was around 10 o'clock and, for Hinata and Naruto who had woken up so early, lunchtime. The two sat down in front of the ramen bar and ate ramen. Naruto said something about living with Jiraiya—Hinata wasn't really paying attention. It was something about him being a perv and getting caught in some situation. She was focused completely on his eyes…those blue, cerulean eyes of his. In fact, she was lost in them. The heiress found herself laughing, and nervously at that, before Naruto was even done with what he was saying.

He looked at her. Was she even listening to what she was saying? _Apparently, not,_ he thought before eating more noodles. Naruto held the bowl higher to let the remaining ramen fall into his mouth. He used the chopsticks to help pour the soup in without spilling. Hinata was saying something quietly, Naruto wasn't sure if it was to herself or to him. Then, he stopped. Something behind Hinata… Naruto dropped the bowl. The bowl not made of anything rare, span a few times on the ground before settling down. _C-Could it really be…?_

Naruto was almost sure it was. Sasuke and Sakura were running. In Konoha. And, really fast. _But why would they be here in the first place? _Ah, Naruto knew. He stood, pointing at the two and yelled at the top of his lungs. "It's a trick, isn't it?! Stop trying to cheer me up!!!" Kiba and Shino, who were nearby—Hokage's orders—stepped out from behind one of the houses. Naruto noticed this and pointed at them. "Y-You're doing this aren't you! Geez, stop trying to cheer me up! It's an illusion, right?" The pink-haired kunoichi and raven-haired ninja were getting closer…

There was no response from either of them. No one was doing a thing. No one could tell if it was someone else's bunshin. However, Hinata could. _Byakugan! _Veins appeared near her eyes. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura had gotten really close. Naruto just stood in the middle of the street, in their way. Sasuke shoved past him. Notice, he _shoved_ him and didn't _kill_ him. Sakura knew then, that she had succeeded in her mission. "Move, _baka_!" Wait a sec…did he just call him a fool? That was something Sasuke would have said…3 years ago. This wasn't right, and yet it felt so real.

Naruto hadn't said a word, nor had he done anything. Sakura--who was behind Sasuke--looked back with a worried expression. The look on Naruto's face meant he was confused. _There's no time for explanation! _Sakura thought. The goal now was to warn the Hokage before _they_ came.

Naruto still stood there, unable to grasp the fact that those people were in fact Sasuke and Sakura, as Hinata had told him. It didn't make any sense. Why would they come here? Wasn't he supposed to be searching for them? He was grateful that he wasn't able to leave the town. Now, he finally had them. Naruto noticed where they were going as he turned in their direction. Then, he ran as fast as he could.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled after him.

He was too far away to hear her words.

-- --

Sakura was now leading Sasuke. It wasn't as if Sasuke knew his way around the Hokage's house and the winding hallways. There…there was her office's door. They were almost… "Omf!" Sakura had bumped into Shizune. The impact caused Shizune's fall. She opened her eyes. "Sakura?" She stood, staring in disbelief. Tsunade opened her door and let herself out. "What is it, Shizu…" For a moment, she looked almost happy, overjoyed in fact. Sakura only glared back. Sasuke was the one to interrupt. "They're coming today…Orochimaru and the Akatsuki."

"Wait, what?"

"I said…" And he repeated the words. Sakura dug through her brown bag, took out a scroll, and threw it to Tsunade, aiming for her face. It wasn't that she had anything against Tsunade…Okay, maybe it was. Tsunade caught it right in front of her face, and then she opened the scroll. "I know about this," she said after she read. "They're attacking _today_. That information is wrong. I saw them," Sakura said. Wasn't she listening to what Sasuke said? Tsunade searched their eyes for any lies. She settled on the conclusion that, if Sasuke were here then the Akatsuki were to… "Shizune!" She exclaimed, rolling the scroll back. "Evacuate the city! Everyone must be out except for Chunin and Jonin!"

"Sasuke…"

Everyone turned, except for Shizune, who had disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Fight me!" Naruto yelled between some heavy breathing—he must have run really fast. The two glared at each other. The uncomfortable silence reminded Sakura of the old days…and it brought her happiness. "If I win, you stay in Konoha!" No response. Sakura had expected a "and if I win…?" from Sasuke. The next thing he said surprised her completely. "I don't have time for this," Sasuke said, turning away from Naruto. "What, are you _afraid_—" It wasn't that the word 'afraid' pissed Sasuke off…it was more of Naruto's stupidity. "You don't know what's going on, do you?" In the language of Sasuke, he was warning Naruto to get the hell out of Konoha before he, and Gaara, were kidnapped by the Akatsuki.

"You're right, I don't," Naruto said with a smile. _Idiot_, Sasuke thought as he saw Gaara walk out of one of the many doors that aligned the hallway. "Gaara!" Tsunade yelled. Was it really necessary to add the –sama to the end of his name? Even if he was the Kazekage, he was still a child in Tsunade's fifty-three year old eyes. Gaara turned. "Hm?" He had noticed Sasuke and Sakura before, but thought it was because they were finally caught. "I'm afraid you'll have to—"

A large crash was heard, and seen, from outside. The window inside Tsunade's office—she had left the door open so all could see—suddenly shattered. The whole building began to tremble. Large cracks appeared in the thickly built walls. They had to get out of the building. The invasion was happening now.

Outside, there was a large wall of smoke all over Konoha. The afternoon sun was being blocked out. No one with the regular eye could see a thing. "Too easy," the same female from before said. "And hey, if we succeed in this, Orochimaru-sama will give me my life back," she said to a shadowy figure. "Do you think your brother is really here?" The figure stepped forward. "Yes. I know him that much."

"The goal is simple," Kabuto said from behind the two. "Orochimaru-sama wants Sasuke. And you," He turned to Itachi. "You want Naruto-kun and Gaara…" Itachi gave a quick nod. "I spoke to your leader," Kabuto continued. "Since we are working in alliance…everyone has the permission to kill anyone in their way. And from what I see…there's only one major obstacle." "I wanna kill that bitch," the girl said. "I want to see her cry and behead her in front of that special Sasuke."

"Actually, I would like to be the cause of her death," Itachi said, running his fingers through his hair. "Then, my brother would truly hate me…" _Hmph, whatever_, the girl thought. She was told not to disrespect anyone from the Akatsuki aloud.

"You have your orders." The two disappeared and ran into Konoha. If anything, what they wanted was together…making things much easier.

To be continued… 

**Thanks for all of the reviews! I got over my goal of 100 reviews!! Thank you all!!!**

**Next chapter: Most of it is a surprise…there is another fight between the Sannin, with an entirely different outcome. This time, bigger feelings are involved. And, lots of drama.**

**Please read my new fanfic, the door to happiness! It's mostly naruhina, and it's similar to this one (with the whole adventure thing) but it's still pretty good. And, it's supposed to be funny…**

**Not much to say about this chapter. **

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	15. Secrets Revealed

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**I apologize for the delay. And also, for my typos.**

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

Chapter 15 

Tsunade was the first to be outside. Then, came the rest of the group. "Tsunade-kun!" Jiraiya exclaimed happily to his one and only true love. Tsunade wasn't happy at all, however. It wasn't because she didn't like Jiraiya, it was that she noticed two figures behind the Sannin and Jonin. Sasuke twitched and glared at one of the figures—ready to kill. Itachi and the one female and resurrected member of the Oto no Yoninshu (the sound four) stepped out from the fog. "My, weren't they easy to find," said a voice from inside the mist. The final Sannin stepped forward.

"You have your Jinchuriki. Tayuya, go with him and help him take them…" His voice was slow and soft. Everyone was brought to a state of caution. Itachi suddenly appeared behind Naruto, while Tayuya stepped behind Gaara. One raised a kunai to a neck, while the other raised his katana. "If you'll excuse us," Itachi's deep voice announced. Naruto was stunned, unable to move, and frightened to death. This was the man that murdered the best clan in Konohagakure at the young age of thirteen. Think of how powerful he'd have become… While training with Jiraiya, Naruto had grown a fear of this man; This man who caused Sasuke to live the half-life he lived now. "L…Let go of me!" He was able to find his voice.

Orochimaru leaned very close to Naruto's face. He stroked the boy's cheek. Naruto found himself spitting at the white face—and, this was the other man who ruined Sasuke's life. Both would never be forgiven. Orochimaru only smiled and lifted the Konoha ninja forehead protector off Naruto's head, then threw it to the ground. "You look more like _him_ this way…The Fourth Hokage." "Orochimaru." That was Jiraiya's warning voice. "Ah, I see no one has told you. He's your…" "Orochimaru!" Now, both Jiraiya and Kakashi had protested. "Your father," Orochimaru finally finished, sneering at the two. _My…_ Naruto thought to himself. _My father was the Fourth…that's why he sealed the Kyuubi into me…_ Before he was able to say something to his two teachers, Itachi interrupted.

"If anyone follows," he held the blade closer to Naruto's neck, and motioned for Tayuya to do the same with the near-silent Gaara. "If anyone follows, they die." The two then slowly disappeared into the mist. "Dammit," Sasuke cursed to himself. Once again, he was unable to do anything. No, it wasn't as though he was unable to do anything…It was the way Sakura was _looking_ at him. He had twitched a bit upon seeing Itachi, and that was when Sakura looked at him _that way_. She could tell that he was going to run forward and do something extremely reckless. So, he hadn't. "W-What should we do," Sakura asked. Sasuke glanced down. She was looking at him that way again, and it was beginning to annoy him. But that was the thing about Sakura—she was and forever will be annoying.

"We go after them," Sasuke replied, indifferently. If Orochimaru saw the bond that was formed between them in the short time…then he would know what his weakness was….

"But if we do, then Naruto-kun and Gaara-san…" Her voice had gotten louder, and had attracted the attention of the adults around them.

"They'll die either way!" Sakura only looked up at the Uchiha, shocked. He wished he hadn't yelled like that—now everyone was looking at him, with the look that asked if Uchiha Sasuke had really yelled. "He's right. There's no point in doing nothing," Tsunade said. "Just go. We…" She referred to herself and Jiraiya, "…will take care of this." Sasuke gave a quick nod and ran off. Sakura followed, hesitantly. Tsunade waited a short while before turning to Kakashi. "Follow them. This fight is Sannin-only," she ordered. Kakashi disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"A wise decision, Tsunade. Keeping Sasuke away from me, that is. But have you forgotten? I am working with the Akatsuki. Sooner or later, he will be mine and I will be stronger. And besides that," The Sannin licked his lips. "There's no way those _children_ could take on all of the Akatsuki members. Unless, of course, you plan to join them." _Shit!_ He saw through her plan. How did he… It didn't matter, Tsunade was still stronger than Orochimaru. With Jiraiya on her side, the odds were even better.

"I know what you're doing…I can bring him back, you know."

"Don't listen to him…" Jiraiya warned. "You really think I would? I'm the Godaime Hokage!!" She surged toward him with tremendous power. Orochimaru smiled. _What is he up to? _Thought Jiraiya. "You really don't learn, do you?" Orochimaru grabbed Tsunade before she was able to punch him. His hands began to glow. "What are you—"

"Mm…So much chakra you have, Tsunade. This may take a while." The crystal on her forehead shattered, releasing a great amount of light. "I guess I'll have to work more crudely, then!" Her chakra…was being sucked—all of it, including her stored energy for healing. Tsunade couldn't even move. She coughed out some blood, and froze when she saw it. "Tsunade-kun!" Jiraiya ran to her. "Ah, thank you for the energy. It should last quite a while." "O…Orochimaru!!" How could Jiraiya have ever considered this man his friend? "Guess you can't help those kids now." He aimed his glowing fist at Jiraiya. The hermit flinched. "I'll let you live…both of you…only because you mean so much to me."

-- --

Just when Kakashi thought we was getting closer to Sakura and Sasuke…he wasn't. "Just how far have they gotten?" He knew Sasuke was fast, but Sakura was always the type to slow her down. Then again, she had lived in isolation for a time and had been forcefully trained by Tsunade. After a few more meters of running, he noticed two shadows nearby, in front of him.

Meanwhile, Sasuke stopped and motioned for Sakura to do so as well. "What is—" Sakura spoke. "Sh, listen," replied the cool, soft voice of Sasuke. All that was heard was the sound of silence. After a few moments, the sound of a woman shrieking came. Soon there were yells coming from all over Konoha. The invaders were making their move. "All I hear is…" A masked man emerged out of the mist. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, happy to see that it wasn't someone else. The Uchiha merely glared back at his former teacher, leaning his neck to one side. Kakashi noticed the new seal around Orochimaru's curse mark.

He stepped forward, examining the mark without Sasuke's knowing. _It's not mine_, he thought to himself, stepping back. "Sasuke…" The young man looked over, his eyes emotionless. Sasuke had always been Kakashi's favorite. And now… "It's ninja like you that really piss me off." Kakashi and Sasuke followed the voice to a large tree above them, where they saw Tayuya with a kunai to Sakura's neck. "S-Sakura," Sasuke's low voice murmured. He clenched his fist, then gave a smile. "That's not her, you can't fool me." The Oto nin smiled as the bunshin disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"Oh, really…then where is she?" Tayuya's tongue curled with each word. "Over here!" exclaimed a voice. In a flash of pink hair, Sakura leaped down from a higher branch, her right fist compressed. The kunoichi surged toward the other, ready to punch. Tayuya smirked. _Something with that much power lacks speed._ With that thought, she moved slightly to the left, appearing to have dodged the blow. Upon the impact of Sakura's fist and the ground, a huge gust blew. Some trees even uprooted. Tayuya was sent flying, her two arms in a cross like position to block. After the winds had settled, she landed on her feet, almost out of breath.

"You seem to have underestimated me," Sakura pronounced boldly after landing before the worn kunoichi. "Oh please, you're not the one I'm after," Tayuya said between pants, wiping a few splatters of blood off her cheeks. After that was done, she turned her attention toward Sasuke, the main objective. "Do you think you can save him?!" The question came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise. "It's love-sick bitches like you that really—"

"That's enough!" The words--Sakura's words-- meant to come out steadily and slowly, instead came as a young girl's shriek. Sakura turned toward Sasuke and Kakashi, this time planning carefully what to say next. "Sasuke-kun…you should go." _Go and kill him._ Those were words that should have been added to her sentence. "Now's your chance." At least she got that much out.

Didn't she see? If Sasuke was far away from Sakura too long, then the curse mark would or may take over his entire body. Yet, he had no choice. The risk had to be taken. _After all, I'm with Kakashi_, he thought, noticing the man standing to his side. Kakashi noticed that Sasuke had looked at him, and looked back. "I'm sure Sakura can take care of herself. You don't have anything to worry about." 'Sakura'? Kakashi thought he was thinking of Sakura?! "Of all the stupid…" Remembering what had happened just the night before, Sasuke stopped himself before he started. "I…It's not like that." With those words, he ran ahead, Kakashi soon catching up. "It sure seems that way," the sensei teased. Teasing Sasuke these days was a very dangerous thing to do.

"Do you want to die, Kakashi?" The words had come out more indifferently than angry. "Sorry, sorry. I just want to lighten the moment." To that, Sasuke had no reply. Being with Kakashi again brought back memories of training for the Chunin exams. _Heh, the Chunin exams. _All of that was behind him now.

-- --

Tayuya held her flute ready to play it once more. She had been toying with Sakura the whole time, summoning monsters to do her work and wear the girl out. "Give up already," she said, cruelly. "The moment Orochimaru puts that curse mark on someone, they can never be freed. And just pretending it isn't there doesn't work either." Sakura knocked down the last of the monsters, knowing fully that Tayuya would summon more. "Even so," she said, standing her ground, trying to find the right words. "Even so…Sasuke is someone very important to me." Tayuya rolled her eyes, playing a tune on her flute once more. Five monsters emerged from the ground, in a circle around Sakura.

"You two are just a sick joke." Tayuya sat on the branch, swinging her legs back and forth, flute ready in hand. Sakura had punched her way through all the monsters again, this time faster than before. "I can't just do nothing!" She yelled. "It will be the same for Sasuke!" Tayuya yelled back after playing her flute. "What—!!" Sakura had let her guard down. The monsters got her, and they were punching and kicking her. After a while, all monsters disappear, except for one. This one flung the now-unconscious Sakura over its back, following the sound of a flute playing from its master.

_You should get yourself out of this, while you can_, Tayuya thought to herself, something she would have said to Sakura if she hadn't been knocked out so soon. She paused, stopped walking and playing her flute, looking at the face of the pink-haired kunoichi. "I pity you." She began to walk again, leading her monster and playing her flute. _You love someone who can't possibly love you back._ The sound of Tayuya's flute fades away into the mist, and the now silent streets of Konohagakure.

To Be Continued… 

**Seriously, I am so sorry for not posting it up sooner. But, you know…with Christmas break and all. Anyway, this chapter is pretty short. It mainly foreshadows things to come. I didn't like this chapter much…I had to keep editing and re-editing it. **

**The next chapter is probably the fluffiest one yet. It's pretty sad too. **

**I know how you like fluff.**

Shizuka-Ai calm::love 


	16. Sadness and Sorrow

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 16**

The next thing he knew, he had found himself yelling out his former teammate's name, the exact person who maybe started this whole thing, since he had wanted to kill him in the beginning.

"Naruto!"

It was Naruto's turn to have the tailed beast extracted from him, as Kakashi and Sasuke saw the lifeless body of the Kazekage pushed to the side of the large room, a few of the Akatsuki members making fun of it. The remaining Shukaku and the rest of his life was now inside the large statue behind the members, its powers would be used once the Akatsuki members had the last one—the Kyuubi.

Kakashi, behind Sasuke, examined the situation. There was no possible way they could take on eight (as Kisame had committed suicide) S-ranked criminals at once, however, there was no choice. "Sasuke, you should—" But the boy had already run towards his brother and mortal enemy, lightning emitting from his entire body, focused on his hand, the indestructible blade now ready to test on his brother… "Itachi-san," Zetsu warned, knowing full well that the boy was his brother, and also shocked at his amazing power. Still, he didn't move, intimidating the younger brother even more.

Sharingan activated, Sasuke surged toward his brother, intent on killing. "My, my, little brother, why is it you are so weak?" Those words again…this time, he wouldn't allow him to finish. He was so close, running at an amazing speed, then disappearing at the perfect moment, and materializing behind Itachi. "It's because," continued Itachi. "I'll kill you before you finish!" Sasuke yelled, his fist thrusting forward, aiming for the heart. Itachi grabbed this hand, as though the lightning from it and Sasuke's body didn't hurt him at all. Sasuke frowned, exerting more chakra into his right arm, to slice through Itachi's. Itachi merely threw him down, completely unaffected. "You lack hate," the older brother finished, the statement meant as a tease.

The younger brother stood, also unaffected, as he had learned to control the amount of released chakra, and had stored amounts within his body. He smiled. Of course killing his brother _that way _would be too easy; he wanted a fight. "Sasuke, don't be so reckless." He hadn't known that Itachi had thrown him all the way in the direction of Kakashi. "Our mission here is to save the Jinchuriki, not to kill your brother." How dare he refer to Itachi as 'his brother.' Sasuke had told everyone back in Otogakure never to refer to him as that. It only brought back the painful memories of being alone, his deceitful brother killing the entire clan, Naruto, Sakura…

_Sakura…_ Where was she? Was she alright? Of course she was, Sakura was a strong girl, as Kakashi said. And Naruto… Sasuke remembered the pleading look in Sakura's eyes. She wanted him back, she wanted them _both _back, everything was to go back to the way they were. Before Orochimaru, before the Akatsuki. A girl like her had never really experienced change, and as most people were, was against it. But who wouldn't be?

Sasuke noticed the sounds of the young Uzumaki's yells, and the glowing red chakra being sucked from his body. How long had he been like that? Was he so focused on killing Itachi that he hadn't realized this? "Fine," Sasuke replied, much to Kakashi's surprise. He was going to take Naruto, wake him up, and then… _We'll see_, he thought, running now not toward Itachi, but toward the Kyuubi's vessel. The partners Hidan and Kakuzu stood in front of Naruto, watching as guards. Having now only one heart left, Kakuzu stepped back, hoping that Hidan would be able to handle this. But what was coming was an attack for two. Both Sasuke's arms lit up, lightning and chakra surrounding them, he was planning to stab both at the same time. And, if any of them were to dodge, he would change the flow of chakra from his arms to his legs, thus kicking them using the Chidori.

"Dammit, Kakuzu, what are you doing!" exclaimed Hidan, noticing that his partner had backed up. "This jutsu takes three days, and we're supposed to stand guard for this one. Besides…" He looked up, sneering at Sasuke. "If Itachi could beat him that easily, we can too."

The raven-haired shinobi punched in the two directions, however both Akatsuki members leaped into the air before impact. Sasuke did as well, by focusing the chakra on his legs and fingertips, standing on his fingers, both legs kicking high into the air, as he did when battling Naruto's bunshin on the hospital rooftop. _Chidori Nagashi! _Kakashi smiled at seeing the jutsu done better than its creator. Sasuke managed to kick them both, with the Chidori coming from both legs. A huge explosion occurred. Using his Sharingan, Kakashi noticed that both members hadn't had the opportunity to block the attack. (Meanwhile, Sasuke hadn't bothered to activate his.) It was pretty obvious both were dead. This was clarified when the dust settled.

Sasuke kicked both to the side, glaring at the remaining Akatsuki members. This was just wasting his chakra. The man he wanted to kill was Uchiha Itachi, not the other weaklings. That meant he needed help in eliminating the rest. The younger Uchiha turned to the blonde, still howling in pain. He had no choice… Turning to two more Akatsuki members, Tobi and Deidara, he performed the Uchiha's signature jutsu. The numerous hand signs were made in a flash, a result of it being used so many times. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" The partners, who had been performing the extraction, were forced to release their hand signs, dodging the attack.

"How _annoying_," a shadowy figure said to Itachi. "With his interfering, the extraction will never be completed."

Kakashi, who was in combat with Zetsu, looked over to the two. "Right now, that's the least of your problems."

A familiar growl was heard, as was a familiar red chakra, though the newly-formed smoke. All remaining members turned to the Kyuubi's vessel. This would ruin everything. "Isn't it something, that Sasuke was the one to free him?" Kakashi asked, as a rhetorical question.

Meanwhile inside the mist, Sasuke found himself actually helping the other stand. Naruto stood, bewildered at the fact that Sasuke hadn't attempted killing him. The two stared at each other for a while, remembering all the good times they had together, and how they had once oddly considered each other a 'friend'. No, not just a friend, but a best friend/rival. Lucky for Naruto, Sasuke never fully able severed the bonds they had. He thought he was going to cry, mixed tears of sadness and joy, the sad tears were for Sakura. This was all her doing. Naruto hadn't really done a thing. _Wait a sec…where is Sakura-chan, anyway? _"She's not here," Sasuke said, monotonously, practically reading Naruto's mind.

"Now, when the mist clears…" There it was! Sasuke's normal I-am-superior voice, the voice used to give orders in missions; Nothing like the voice that spoke during the encounter at Orochimaru's lair. "…You'll use that Kyuubi of yours…" Was Sasuke admitting that Naruto had immense chakra? A while ago, he would have thought such a thing was a useless handicap, the thing that caused Naruto to surpass him at one point, and then be his equal. "…To kill the Akatsuki, and I…" Had Sasuke forgotten about revenge as well? Killing the Akatsuki seemed like something we wanted to do instead. Naruto turned to him, afraid that saying anything would bring him back to reality. "I will kill Itachi," Sasuke finished, the smoke vanishing instantly at the words.

"Now!"

Both ninja disappeared, the voice still echoing in the cave. But Itachi knew. His brother was planning to attack him, and knowing Sasuke, he was probably planning to attack from behind. But he was wrong. "Sen'eitajashu!" Sasuke jumped off from hanging upside down on the cave's ceiling. Itachi knew that jutsu…He turned his attention toward Sasuke's arm to see if he was correct. Numerous snakes projected from Sasuke's arm, each waiting to strike its next victim. "I forgot Orochimaru taught you." The younger brother smirked.

The large boulder that covered the cave's entrance suddenly shattered into pieces. Itachi smiled deviously at this, it was what he had been stalling for after all. "I have the girl," a young woman's voice said. Sasuke flinched, the color draining from his face, the snakes disappearing. Knowing his guard was down, Itachi grabbed his leg and threw him to the side. Sasuke stood, finding himself facing Naruto. Naruto's attention wasn't on him. "Sa-Sakura-chan?" It _was_ her. Had she gotten beaten? Sasuke's teeth clenched. That must have been the case. Now that she was here…

The monster who had been carrying the kunoichi disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Sakura fell, and the one who was to catch her was none other than…Orochimaru. "Finally," Itachi said, running his fingers through his hair. "He's been causing a lot of trouble for us here." Orochimaru turned to his soon-to-be body, still holding the unconscious girl. "Is that so?" He licked his lips. "That makes me want him even _more_." A shiver went down Sasuke's back. Why hadn't he ever been grossed out by the freak before?

"Let go of her, you freak!" Naruto exclaimed, running strait towards the Sannin, two of his clones forming a sphere in his right hand. "Futon: Rasengan!" _A new technique? _Thought Sasuke. _So this must've been that jutsu he was planning to use against me. _Then, he remembered that Sakura was… "Naruto! _Baka! _Do you want to kill Sakura too—" A voice overpowered his. "That jutsu is still raw! You could kill all of us!" Kakashi yelled. "Let go of Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, ignoring the other two. "Gladly," the Sannin smirked, holding a kunai to her neck. The Rasengan and clones vanished, and the running came to a stop.

"Come with me," Orochimaru said to Sasuke. A sweat drop fell from the Uchiha's face. "Or she dies."

"I don't ca…" The words stopped halfway. "I don't…" _Dammit!_ Why couldn't he get them out? "I…" Great. Now everyone was aware of his new weakness.

"But you do, don't you?" Sasuke twitched. "Tell me, what does she mean to you?" Orochimaru taunted once more. This was pure torture for Sasuke, as this was happening right in front of every single friggen' person who would use it against him. As for Itachi, it was delightful entertainment. If he had known that there were two ways of torturing his brother, he would have used both before.

"Nothing! She means nothing to me!" The words came out to fast, making them anything but believable. Orochimaru smiled. "I can just kill her, then." "NO!" Naruto blinked a few times. Just like that Sasuke's cool composure had left him.

"Alright." Sasuke had given up. "Fine…" If it meant putting Sakura's life in danger, then it wasn't worth it. Because she meant something now. Orochimaru dropped the girl, and she opened her eyes slowly, looking at an emotionless Sasuke. Sakura looked around, realizing where she was, she looked back into the eyes of the Uchiha, which had turned from black to red.

-- --

Sakura was suddenly swept away…into a familiar field. She knew then, it was the training field for Genin, the place Kakashi always chose to train for Team 7. Her pink hair blew with the graceful Konoha winds. Then, she was standing, looking directly at Sasuke, his eyes now its regular color. She tried to say his name, but found that she couldn't. In fact, Sakura was paralyzed. _That's right…this is Genjutsu._ Bits and pieces of reality returned to her head.

"Sakura…" Sasuke had said her name the same way he had before he left, except this time, there was a hint of emotion. He was also staring straight at her, however, she was unable to avert her eyes. "I want you to forget." The small sign of pain in his eyes hadn't gone unnoticed by Sakura, but she had things to say as well.

'_Forget?' _She knew what he meant by the word, but refused to accept it. _I can't forget about you! _The words stayed only as thoughts.

"Because I don't want you to live in pain anymore." It seemed he wasn't finished. In fact, he was far from it. "Sa…su…ke..kun…" His eyes widened. How was she able to speak? "I don't care." She blinked back tears. "I'll never forget. Because I.." If she was to say that _word_, then Sasuke wouldn't know what to do. All he could do now was continue, interrupting her words.

"It's best that you do," Sasuke said, indifferently. Now things were starting to turn out to sound like an argument. "Sasuke-kun…" Now he'd done it; she looked sad again. "Why did…you take me here?" He looked at her, remembering what he was going to say. "I don't have much time left." _'Much time?' In the genjutsu or does he mean… _"I-I love you!" No longer was she able to hold back the tears. If this was the end…then all confessions should be made. Sakura closed her eyes, covering her wet face, unable to see Sasuke's rarely seen blush. He circled her, embracing her, comforting her. "Sakura.," He said her name again She looked up at his face, now waiting to see just what he would say next.

"You're special to me. And that's why…you have to…" Her lips had moved slowly closer to his, as did his to hers. Finally, the lips touched, and Sakura heard the word 'forget' in her mind. _This can't be the end. _Tears steamed down her face once again. _Sasuke-kun…_

-- --

The genjutsu spell ended abruptly. Sakura awoke, to see that the marks of Orochimaru's curse were spread all over his body, Orochimaru and the other Sound girl hovering over him. "It's beginning," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. In the other corner, the Akatsuki members were taking Naruto back to the large statue, to finish the extraction. Sasuke glanced at her, then looked down, smiling all the while.

"Sasuke-kun!" She tried running to him, but something behind her grabbed her by the collar. "Ah, Kabuto," Orochimaru stated, as if telling Sakura just who had her. She didn't really care. "Sasuke-kun!" Her shrieks echoed throughout the whole cave, some of the Akatsuki members covered their ears, others made cruel side comments.

"Come on, I won't hurt you. Sasuke made a deal with Orochimaru," Kabuto said, tugging Sakura a bit.

"I don't care what happens to me, just let him go! Sasuke-kun!!!" She thrashed about.

Kabuto sighed. "You leave me no choice." His fist began to glow with a well-known medical jutsu, and it moved closer to her stomach.

"SASUKE!!" No longer was she able to add the suffix to the end of the name. There was no time. She was hoping that somebody, anybody, hear her. The fist finally reached the stomach. The surrounding began to darken, and Sakura fainted, as she did before, the last sound heard was the echo of _his_ name.

**To be continued… **

**Wow, so sad. Kinda leaves you with that bittersweet feeling, doesn't it? **

**On the next chapter: Is Sasuke dead? Is Sakura dead? Aside from the whole Sasusaku mess, is Gaara really dead? (Is_ everybody_ dead?) Could I have been so cruel as to kill off our favorite Kazekage? And what of Konoha and the Akatsuki? **

**Hehe…you'll see.**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	17. The End of the Begining

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**I'M SORRY! Don't kill me… Oh yes, and there may be some of you that didn't get the e-mail for the last chapter. I warn you now…**

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 17**

_The last thing she could remember was his smile…_

Darkness covered her. Was she dead? No, this was…a dream. The familiar, _haunting _dream. She spun around a few times, looking for the exit. A small green light illuminated the surrounding darkness. She followed it, intrigued by its shine. The young woman stopped before what seemed to be a mirror. The light stopped, as well. _Pink hair, green eyes,_ Sakura thought, observing the image. She followed the light into the mirror. Words echoed in the distance. They grew closer, louder.

Adventure, the art of strategy… 

More and more fireflies formed together.

…_trials, climbing…_

Sakura followed them, staring into the light. A figure began to form.

…_light and darkness, encounters…_

She lifted her fingertip—it was so close—for she knew who it was…

…_life…_

"Sasuke-kun."

…_mutual love._

The figure burst into thousands of fireflies. All flew away…all were free. She had wished, if even for a second, that this were reality. Even if it weren't, Sakura didn't want to return. She knew what waited for her when the time came to wake.

-- --

Kabuto remembered the look on Sasuke's face. He had tried to savor it; although it was obvious he was gone now. He stepped forward a bit, and then dropped Sakura. _Sasuke had died for her, _he thought. "He might have even lived, if it weren't for you," he said to the near-lifeless body that lay before him, kicking it a few times. It was odd—whenever mentioned, Sasuke would speak of his hate for Konoha and all things from the village. Sakura was one of those _things_. Just a _thing._ What had happened? Kabuto wondered, _what happened while they were together?_ Images of all sorts filled his mind.

"Still…" He glanced at her. "She doesn't deserve to live." Soon, Kabuto came to the conclusion of killing Sakura, himself, against Sasuke's death wish. "I'll put you out of your misery," the man sneered, his right palm glowing eerily. The man kneeled close, positioning his hand above Sakura's chest. "One hit is all it will take." _3…2…1…_

A tiger pinned Kabuto down before the attack to Sakura was done. The creature looked as though it were made of ink and painted on a scroll. That only meant one thing…

"I was sent as mere backup," Sai stated with a smile. "With no intent on killing anyone. But it seems…" He landed gracefully after leaping from the cliff above. "That you were trying to kill Sakura-san."

"You!" spat Kabuto, trying to wedge himself free from the tiger's claws. They now seeped into the skin of his two shoulders, nearly paralyzing him. Drops of blood fell to the rocky earth. He soon regained his self-assurance. "That's right," The man replied. "Knowing Sakura, she'd think it better that _she _died instead."

"You don't know her," Sai declared, glaring at the man. Was he implying that Sasuke was already dead? _And what of Naruto and Kakashi-sensei? Does this mean…they won?_

"I don't care what you do to me, our goal—both the Akatsuki's and Orochimaru-sama's—have already been reached." That confirmed it. Still, did it really mean nothing more could be done? Sai had to make the decision now.

He began with complex hand signs, before the tiger disappeared. _Choju Giga!_ (Super Beasts Imitation Picture) Animals of all shapes and sizes pounced on Kabuto, clawing, biting, and scratching him. "A successful hit," Sai wondered, standing upright. He glanced at the ink-bird. It swooped down and picked Kabuto up, through all the fighting. The bird had him in its claws, flying higher and higher into the sky.

"It's over!" Kabuto yelled, his glasses falling to the ground. "There's nothing you can do now!" Sai kneeled beside Sakura, stroking her cheek, and paused to watch the man in his final moments. He activated the series of paper bombs he had placed on the bird causing a huge explosion. Ink poured down from the sky as raindrops…or was that blood?

-- --

Over and over again…the sequence never ended. It was always like this; Sakura's faintest touch would cause him to disappear. That was why she was afraid. After seeing him again for so long, she was afraid to be the same Sakura as before. "Because he hated me!" She cried into the dark reflection of herself. "Even now, I couldn't do a thing! All I could do was watch him d…watch him d…" Her voice quivered. Her thoughts shook. There was no way…

"Let me go!" She yelled to the fireflies. Even now they were forming _that figure_. "I want to see for myself!" _Because_, she thought, holding out her hand. _Because he died for me._ Her reflection shattered, as did everything else, including the dream. She had been released.

-- --

The room was dim and plain, furnished only by a bed, a small table beside it, and a chair next to the windows. The shades were pulled down; a few stands of light trickled through at times. Sakura jolted upright from her dream, gasping heavily. The lights blurred, at first, and hurt her vision. She rubbed her aching forehead. "Where…" She looked across her. Someone was sitting on the chair, asleep.

He opened his eyes, turned to Sakura, and smiled. A genuine smile. "Sakura-san, you're awake." He stood, pulling up the shades behind him. "Are you alright?" He asked, turning toward her, still smiling.

"Sai-kun…" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. "Where are we?"

"In a village outside of Konohagakure."

"How long—"

"You've been asleep about two days."

"What about Naruto-kun and—"

"They're all dead."

Sakura paused for a moment, thinking of how what to say to such a blunt response. Then it hit her. Why had she been so slow to realize such an important thing?

"You just left?!"

"I killed Kabuto-san," Sai responded, a bit surprised by the sudden outburst. His face returned to its natural state—a sweet and somewhat fake smile. "But you needed help, Sakura-san…and I just couldn't have left you there"

It would have been much easier if Sai _weren't _smiling, if he _didn't_ closely resemble Sasuke, and if he wasn't so far away. Sakura wanted to punch him to death, yell at the top of her lungs, hug him and cry into his chest all at the same time. She instead chose the more violent reply. Grasping the vase beside her, Sakura summoned the little strength she had and threw it right at him. Sai, of course, dodged this easily. The vase did manage to shatter the window behind him.

"Why?!" She shrieked.

"W-Why, what?" He asked, taken aback. A new, never-before-seen expression rose to his face. _Is she trying to kill me?_

"Why didn't you do something?!" Sakura reached next to her. The desk was sent flying. "Um…because…" Sai said, between the barrage of items thrown at him.

Everything soon settled. Sai's eyes fell upon Sakura, who, just one minute ago, had been yelling at the top of her lungs, aggressively hurling whatever was around at him. Now, she sat up in the bed, weeping into her hands. _She sure is strange…_

"S…Sai-kun…" Her voice trembled heavily. "I couldn't do any…thing…again. And Sasuke..kun…" Sai stepped a bit closer. "He's…he's…"

"Sakura-san…"

"He's gone."

-- --

"Konohagakure…" Tsunade echoed Shizune's last word before departing her hospital room, except more formally. Jiraiya sat next to her, his eyes focused solely on her face and not what was lower. He was serious as well. She sighed, feeling the crystal on her forehead. At least it was there now.

"Right now, the Oto ninja are raiding Konoha."

"Don't you think it would be wise if you were there as well?" Tsunade said, glaring at the hermit.

"They're capable…I'm sure."

"And what of the lower-ranking ninja and civilians?" Tsunade asked; a bit embarrassed at her current lack of knowledge. Then again, she had been out for a few days.

"The Chunin are fighting and helping the evacuation. ANBU are investigating and searching for Naruto and Orochimaru. We've tried to get Genin and civilians evacuated. Some are hiding in the underground tunnels."

"Oh. _Those_ things?"

"They were built for this reason," Jiraiya stated, catching Tsunade's eyes.

"My grandfather never imagined this sort of tragedy. Orochimaru used to be a Konoha citizen. When this is all over—"

"_If_ this is all over," Jiraiya corrected.

The Hokage made a face, but continued. "I'm getting to old for this job," she sighed.

"Giving up?"

Tsunade was forced to ignore the comment. "Name a capable Jonin; A very strong Jonin; Preferably one with experience and connections to previous kage."

"A Jonin, eh?" Jiraiya asked, closing his eyes and rubbing his chin. "I don't know a Jonin with _all_ of your qualifications…but I know a Chunin _perfect_ for the job."

At this, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.

-- --

The kunai clashed several time. Another Oto ninja fell. Ino panted, glancing around for her partner. "Hinata!" She called. The Hyuga heiress appeared, kunai clutched in both hands. "How many more?" Ino asked. She wanted to clear the area quickly to meet up with the other teams. After that, they were to be sent as backup to Sakura and the rest. Hinata wanted to as well. _Byakugan! _Veins popped near her eyes. She concentrated her chakra, peering through the thick mist. "Ten. Ten more."

Ino was surprised by Hinata's seriousness. She hadn't stuttered at all during their fighting together. At first, she disliked Jiraiya's decision of partnership. Now, everything was working out. She was lucky to have a Byakugan on her side. "Awww…ten more? How annoying," Ino complained.

Hinata concentrated on the figures a bit more—maybe she was wrong. "Ah!" She exclaimed. "Wait…what is…"

"Eh, Hinata? What do you see?"

"Twenty."

"TWENTY MORE?!?!"

"Fifteen…thirteen…ten…nine…six…th-they're being slaughtered."

"M-Maybe it's another team?" Ino's voice rose slightly at the end. Hinata looked frightened. _Worst case scenario_, she thought. _Akatsuki members. They told us to stay clear._ "I think we should…" She turned, wishing she hadn't. Her aqua-colored eyes grew in shock.

"Two…Ino-san! There are two left and coming this way!" Hinata exclaimed, turning toward her partner. "I-Ino-san…" Her eyes too, widened.

They were surrounded.

To be continued… 

**A cliff…hah. Well, it's back—for those of you who have been patiently waiting. I wanted to give the story space, you know, after the climax and all. **

**As for Hinata and Ino, I just chose two characters at random. Now that I think about it…it all makes sense. You'll see.**

**I am not dead.**

Shizuka-Ai _calm::love_


	18. Blue and Red

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay**

**Chapter 18**

_A few days earlier…_

"SASUKE!!" Sakura shrieked between struggling with Kabuto. He finally managed to knock out the girl. The poor romantically crushed cherry blossom of Konoha. At least, she was soon to be. He slung the unawake body over his shoulder, stepping backward toward the cave's entrance. His eyes glittered behind the small spectacles, their attention solely on Sasuke. _What is he going to do next? _The Uchiha merely had his head bowed, shadows covered his eyes. There was nothing he _could _do; the process had already begun.

"_Oi_. What about me?" asked Takaya, hands placed heavily on hips. Kabuto stopped and turned, glancing at Orochimaru. The Sannin glanced back with a curled smile. "Sorry," Kabuto replied. "Orochimaru-sama is busy."

"Busy, my ass!" exclaimed the kunoichi. "He promised me—" It was too late. Just like that her life had been taken away. Takaya clutched her heart. Gasping heavily, she fell to the ground. Her pupils turned to a lifeless, gray color. "The jutsu I used to resurrect her shouldn't have lasted that long," said Orochimaru. "Now Sasuke, let's start this," he spoke again. The curse mark started its spread over the entire body, starting with its origin from the neck. The Sannin leaned close to his pupil's ear.

"Don't worry," he whispered softly. "Sakura is gone and safe…as for Naruto, the Akatsuki probably already has him in their clutches by now." Orochimaru's tongue slipped out of his mouth, licking Sasuke's right cheek.

"What of Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, showing no sign of fear in his voice. "Who cares about Kakashi?" was his blunt reply. "And you're sure _she's _gone now?" He asked, for he hadn't bothered to see Sakura and Kabuto depart. "Yes." Orochimaru's hands had begun glowing—step one was complete. Still, out of all of those fortunate enough to have this jutsu performed on them, Sasuke was definitely the calmest. He hadn't screamed, shook, cried, yelled, or done anything of the matter, at all.

He observed his surroundings: Naruto was being dragged away forcefully by remaining Akatsuki members, including Itachi; Kakashi stood, cornered against the wall by their infamous leader; Gaara pretty much lay in a pool of his own blood…_Perfect._ Not a single pink-haired, green-eyed kunoichi in sight.

Sasuke smiled coyly. This was perfect—almost too perfect.

"Where is Kabuto?" Orochimaru complained. He was needed for the jutsu to commence, and it was unlike him to miss out on such an important event. _Does that mean that Sakura…? No, I can't be so sure about her,_ the younger Uchiha thought, rising up despite Orochimaru's tight grip. The jutsu was already halfway done, but Sasuke shook it off as though it were nothing. The Sannin's cold fingers slipped off his shoulders. He looked surprised, and scared.

"Wh-What is--?" His eyes dilated from fear and anguish. Orochimaru feared his precious life. "I've been holding back," Sasuke said coolly, reaching to Orochimaru's side, grabbing the katana. "You what?" The Sannin spat. Sasuke blinked. Everyone was watching. His whole aura had changed to one that now commanded attention. He was going to kill a Sannin, a title only given to the best.

Orochimaru shook uncontrollably, trying to summon the last of his chakra. He had used too much, in preparation of the soul and body combination. Even so, Sasuke had so easily shattered _that_ jutsu. This was really the end, he thought to himself. His pupil of nearly three years swung the katana, yelling words—words he was too frightened to hear.

"I will not be your puppet! I will not be your toy!" Sasuke swung the katana back and forth, attacking every possible vital organ, except one. He stopped the katana at the Sannin's neck, sending a cold glare, similar to Itachi's. But this one had more life in it. Not the joy in killing, but the joy of being alive. "I will gain power in my own way." The final slash was made.

As the Akatsuki leader fled from Kakashi, Sasuke turned to face his bewildered brother. The words he had said before were _haunting. Hauntingly familiar,_ Itachi thought. Sasuke probably had said them before, when he wasn't listening. Not that he ever listened to his brother's ramblings. "Well done," he said, faking a clap. Sasuke almost made it look _easy_ to kill a Sannin. Itachi was sure—during the first half of Orochimaru's cursed jutsu, Sasuke had found someway to stall it, thus weakening the Sannin even more. "Well done," he repeated.

"What do you plan to do now?" Itachi asked. He was half-serious, half-teasing. He didn't really care what Sasuke was going to do next, although he knew his brother's answer.

"I will kill you," Sasuke replied, with a strong emphasis on 'will'.

"Is that so?" Itachi was stalling, the same thing Sasuke had done. The remaining members were extracting the Kyuubi spirit as they talked. The problem was, the Kyuubi was much more powerful than the Shukaku, and the extraction may as well take longer.

Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to fall for such a trap. He ran forward with tremendous speed, much more so than before, and disappeared. No one could sense him. "I was holding back," his voice echoed. Itachi glanced around, having no choice but to use the Sharingan. Sasuke was beginning to be a pain in the ass. The cave shone a strange blue—Sasuke was releasing all his chakra and strength. All his energy would be put into the last and final blow.

-- --

Sakura ran out of the hospital. Sai followed her. He ran slower, on purpose. "Wait!" He yelled. He had to at least make it look real. "NO!" Sakura screeched back. She bought the act quite easily. "I'm going to Konoha!" Fat tears rolled down her face. "Sasuke-kun isn't the type to just die, neither is Naruto-kun!" Her voice was loud, loud enough to cover its unsteadiness. That was the thing Sai liked about Sakura. No matter what she did, if she wanted something, she did it. However, by jumping in headfirst, she was oblivious to what was around. Such as, for instance, Sai's acting. And all those Oto Nin tailing them.

"Just…slow down!" Sai exclaimed. He really meant it now. "No!" It was a stupid question. He hadn't expected her to say 'yes.' Stupid questions get stupid answers.

Sakura stopped. "What's…wrong?" Sai asked between pants. "This is…" They were looking at Konoha—the great Konohagakure, capital of the Fire Nation—or what was left of it. The mist had cleared, that was good, but there was no sign of buildings. They had all been destroyed, smashed and turned into debris. The evacuation tunnels were not safe. Because all buildings were gone, you could see the stairs leading to them, and hear the screaming erupting from underground.

There were fires everywhere. No one bothered with them. Dead bodies lay scattered among Konoha's streets. The sky over Konoha was pitch black, from the fire, death, and now…rain. Rain trickled down from the sky, at first. Then, it turned into a steady downpour. This was Sakura's home. Her home, Naruto's home, Sasuke's home…everyone's. She produced tears to match the rain. Rain always came at the worst of times. It was a sign that Sasuke was dead.

"Sakura-san…" Sai's voice came in a whisper. He didn't know what to say, really. He never had a home, a village to return to after every mission, a community where you knew everyone's name. But he did know the pain of loss. Sai rested his arm on her shoulder gently.

They heard a scream.

Sakura jolted and Sai glanced to the side. The scream came from the side of Konoha that was still surrounded in mist; maybe it was in good condition. "A civilian, maybe?" Sai asked himself. Another scream. Sakura knew that scream. In the past, she'd wanted it so much, and done by her own hands. "I-Ino!" The kunoichi exclaimed, running into the mist.

-- --

There was a major problem. The Byakugan proved it. Behind, Oto Nin surrounded them. They were ready and willing to kill for Orochimaru. They even had strange looks on their faces. Farther in the north, two figures were coming…closer and closer. The auras of chakra, which were felt by Ino _and_ Hinata practically screamed Akatsuki members. To their right and left were more Oto Nin, standing, waiting if the kunoichi were to run east or west. They were dead.

"Umm…so, now what?" Ino asked. Her mind-possession jutsu wouldn't work in this case. There were too many people, and she was better off as a long-range fighter. Hinata meanwhile, possessed the almighty Hyuga power. She could attack many at once. She'd seen Neji do it years ago. Hinata could probably do that now…hopefully. Ino glanced at her frightened teammate. She looked too scared to fight.

The Sound ninja pelted them with kunai. "Ahh—Hinata!!" Ino screamed, covering her face with both hands. Hinata came to her senses. She spun around countless times, creating a shield. More and more kunai were thrown. "How long can you keep this up?" Ino asked, only to see that Hinata had run out of chakra. The shield disappeared. The two girls found themselves facing countless Oto Nin with smug looks on their faces.

Hinata screamed, though they hadn't attacked yet. When they did, Ino found it appropriate to follow the screaming. Hers was ten times louder. Another kunoichi leapt forward kicking six men in a row. Ino opened her eyes. Hinata wiped hers. "Sakura!" Ino exclaimed. She was happy to see her eternal-rival. "And Sai-kun!" Her voice took on a new level of loud. But she wanted him to hear.

The Oto Nin surged forward at the group, impatiently. They had waited long enough. Orochimaru even told a few to kill a green-eyed, pink-haired kunoichi. They directed their next barrage of kunai at her. Sakura didn't bother moving. She stood in the same place. Once all kunai were thrown, she turned into a log. "A substitution?" An Oto Nin yelled in unison with Ino, as if it were more than just a basic jutsu.

Sai _sighed_. Sakura was obviously fooling around. She was allowed to. It took her mind off things. The air suddenly changed. It grew _dense_, to be exact. All ninja halted and faced north. An enormous power was coming their way. "What is it, Hinata?" Ino asked. The Hyuga trembled. Sakura glared into the mist. Sai kept his eyes on the Oto Nin. Ino's face paled.

Sakura felt her legs giving out, however strong she looked. The Sound Nin spoke amongst themselves, something about a broken contract between Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki was not to attack Konoha, only the Sound were. If the contract were broken, then… the shinobi charged forward.

"I hope they beat them," Ino found herself saying. "I mean, that the Oto beat the Akatsuki." Sai shook his head. "It's not that simple." He carefully chose his words, while staring at Sakura. "Whaaat? Yes, it is. Sakura got out of there alive, didn't she?" Ino asked, pointing at Sakura, which was rude. Sakura shook her head. "I only…it's…" From the look on her face, Hinata was sure that Naruto was dead. Everyone else probably was. She activated her Byakugan for what seemed to be the last time. After all, the Akatsuki members _were_ going to kill them next. _Byakugan!_ What she saw astounded her. The images left her speechless.

"They're…and…we…" The least important words managed to slip out of Hinata's mouth. "WHAT? WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Ino screamed like a madman—a deaf one. Hinata, meanwhile, gaped like a fish out of water. Sakura bent beside her. "What is it?" She asked gently. Even in her time of depression, she managed to keep up with her strong façade, Sai noted. "They…are…" Finally, sentences started forming. "…here…"

" 'They are here'?!?!" Ino repeated. "What do you mea—"

In the not so far off distance, two huge lights clashed. One was red, the other blue. This was familiar to Sakura, somehow. She listened closely. The wind howled. A tornado formed around the Oto Nin. She heard birds. Birds screeching. The sound merged with the blue light, along with lightning. The wind was with the red. Bodies of the Sound Ninja flew into the air, then got shot down by lightning bolts.

"What is that? Sakura?" Ino stared at her rival, for her face had grown as white as Hinata's. Unlike Hinata, she was crying. Tears full of every emotion possible. Rain continued to fall from the sky. Ino lowered her voice. "Is that…the Akatsuki's power?"

"No," Sakura said. "It's not." She said this, running to the lights. The chakra. _His_ chakra.

**To Be Continued…**

**I could end it right here, but I won't. I know, I've been updating slowly now, compared to my weekly updates. I just don't want to see it end! **

**Neither do you.**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	19. Night: The Rain's Sad End

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 19**

The pink-haired kunoichi ran with all her might ahead—to the dangerous explosion. Ino screeched her name from behind, while Sai stood in place, bewildered at the girl's strength. She still wanted to see him, even after what he said to her before.

"Sakura…I want you to forget…" 

"…_Because I don't want to see you in pain, it's best you do." _

The words resonated in Sakura's mind as she ran at full speed, her chakra directed to her heels. She wanted to see him; she couldn't be without him. Without Sasuke, Sakura was as torn as a cherry blossom, stepped on by Konoha's villagers. She remembered living without him, or rather, not being able to fully _live_. She had been depressed, alone. In result, she grew tough.

But ever since the Uchiha returned—whether his objection was to kill her or not—the fakeness that Sakura tried to build on was torn away, piece by piece, until all that was seen was a familiar, smiling, and happy kunoichi. He had dangled that string of hope in front of her, without knowing it, waiting for her to reach for it and take it as her own.

He was her hope. He was her everything.

"Sakura…I want you to…" 

"No!" Sakura cried, as she stepped foot in the light. "I don't want to forget!" The fake Sakura would have puked at those words, she would have killed Sasuke if given the chance. But she was gone now. All that remained was the original.

Behind the whir and scream of wind and lightning, a soft voice was heard.

"Sakura…"

The kunoichi's eyes lit up, as they normally did two and a half years ago. The figure stepped forward, dragging his feet on the grass. He was hurt; his footsteps were heavy. Sakura sprinted forward, in order to leap into his arms, and then support him back. Oh wait, they had to look for Naruto first.

"Sasuke-ku—"

"…chan. Sakura-chan." Naruto stepped closer, holding his heavily injured arm. In fact, his whole right arm was covered with blood—his own—and fell to the side. It was practically falling off his body. Sakura assumed the worst.

"Sas—I mean, Naruto-kun!" She yelled, supporting his arm. "Y-you didn't," she whispered, tears filling up in her emerald eyes. She didn't want to ask where Sasuke was. Naruto needed more help. For all she knew, Sasuke probably was…

"Sasuke…Sasuke's fighting his brother—I mean, Uchiha Itachi," Naruto said, recalling Sasuke's previous threatens. "Er…Itachi. Yeah. Just Itachi, no Uchiha."

Sakura tried to hold it in. Naruto was in trouble. He wasn't supposed to use _that jutsu_. It was life threatening, and could kill off all the cells in his body. Last time it was just his hand, but this time his whole arm was injured.

The would-be Hokage glanced at it. "Ano…this is fine," he said, attempting to move it. But Sakura, a trained and skilled medic ninja, could tell that the arm was dislocated. Tsunade would be best at this, but she was second to the Sannin. At the same time, Sakura _really, really, **really**_ wanted to see Sasuke. But he was fighting. Naruto needed help. Sasuke was fighting. Ino was a medic-nin too, wasn't see?

Sakura shook her head as she (literally) carried the blonde away from the fight, and closer to the others. Naruto yelled some things; he seemed more embarrassed than in pain. That was a good sign. Back with Sai and the rest, more had gathered. Teams 8 and 10, Team Gai, and Gaara sat, waiting for the news. Some burst out into hysterical laughter upon seeing Naruto in Sakura's arms, while others smirked and shook their heads. Hinata's face turned the color of a tomato.

"Sakura-san, where's Sasuke-kun?" asked Sai as she lay Naruto down near Hinata and Ino. Ino's hands began to glow with chakra.

"He's…" Sakura started to say, loosing her voice, as she turned to the battle scene. The wind Naruto's Futon: Rasenshuriken created had not subsided, as of yet. The lightning turned to fire, as it swirled between the twisters. The earth shook as a several large explosions occurred.

Naruto managed to chuckle, as some gazed ahead with astonishment and others covered their ears and eyes. "Sasuke's _still_ really strong," he said to no one in particular. He laughed again.

"Argggh! Stop moving, Naruto!" Ino yelled, as several drops of sweat fell from her face. "Sakura, I need your help! Naruto won't stop laughing!" She called as she slapped Naruto's happy face.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, covering her mouth.

"Uh, yeah," Sakura said, dismissing Sai's question. "Coming!" She and her bright pink hair swept past the others as she knelt by Naruto. She would wait and pray for Sasuke's safe victory. This was Sasuke, after all.

-- --

Every time he had him, Itachi would fight back with another genjutsu spell. It was fun at first, fighting Sharingan verses Sharingan, as Sasuke penetrated all illusions. But now that the real battle commenced, the younger Uchiha had planned to rip his brother's limbs off. After that, he'd behead him with Orochimaru's katana.

Orochimaru… Now that he thought about it, destroying the Sannin was as easy as fighting Naruto. He proved to be no threat. The real threat was Itachi, who somehow managed to survive Sasuke's _final_ blow in the hideout. That just made things more interesting. Itachi was now on the defensive, using only his Sharingan to escape the ninjutsu and taijutsu Sasuke threw at him. Unless this was an illusion itself, Sasuke had the clear advantage.

"You've grown strong, dear brother," Itachi said in the Mangekyo's current spell. Sasuke opened his eyes to reveal a set of piercing red. The illusion disappeared.

It may be possible you've become **too** strong, the older Uchiha thought between a perfect combo of kicks, punches, and ninjutsu. For Sasuke to have defeated Orochimaru, a Sanin, is a surprise in itself. It was done with pure ease, but Itachi was much stronger than the snake bastard ever was. The only person able to defeat him was another Uchiha, one with a Sharingan. That was Sasuke. 

Sasuke lunged toward his brother, spitting fire and wielding lightning in his hands. How had he survived? The hideout had exploded, and Itachi lay in a puddle of his own blood. He smirked at his brother's strength.

_Sasuke… without the Sharingan you are nothing,_ Itachi concluded. _All I can do now if hope to weaken him with my own._ Sasuke entered the red and black world for the tenth time… _If I make direct contact, there is a chance that even I may die. _…and shattered the illusion.

"You tried to weaken _mine_ by using _yours_," said a voice behind Itachi, referring to the Sharingan.

The Akatsuki member's eyes dilated. Sasuke was so…fast. Not one of his steps faltered. His moves were so perfect—so _close_ to perfect—that maybe even _he_, the infamous Uchiha traitor wouldn't be able to…

"That is correct," Itachi replied, indifferently as ever. He still enjoyed mocking his brother. However, in this case, doing so would prove to be a big mistake.

"I see," Sasuke said, shuffling at his side. Holding Orochimaru's katana tightly, he leapt forward to face his brother.

"You know," Itachi sneered. "You had the perfect chance to kill me from behind. I'd have to admit, even _I_ was shocked by your speed." He made sure not to falter. There was a high chance Sasuke could tell when one was weakening in battle. Meanwhile, the younger brother was doing the same. The Uchiha were fully aware: they were at their limits.

"I _know_ that," Sasuke said strongly, holding in gasps for air. "But it would be unfair." He hated this man. He wished for his death ever since that tragic day, the final day in Uchiha history. It was fate; it was destiny. It was Sasuke's destiny to avenge the clan. It was Itachi's fate to die by Sasuke's hand. What had he expected, anyway? He left Sasuke to live, solely for this purpose.

But the reason to live had changed. It was no longer to kill Itachi, though that was part of it. It was also for…

-- --

The green-eyed, pink-haired kunoichi stared intently at wounds. _I'll wait_, she thought. _And then I…we…_ She thought about this for a moment. Would Sasuke stay in Konoha, even if he won against Itachi? It appeared to Naruto that what he would kill himself after killing Itachi. Or he'd run away in search for _more_, pointless power.

"That's…That can't be true," Sakura mumbled softly, making sure no one heard her whimpering.

"What can't be true?" repeated Sai, sitting beside Sakura. He looked too much like Sasuke. This wasn't good.

"Nothing!" exclaimed Sakura, all too quickly. She blushed furiously soon after, biting a piece of skin near her thumb, too embarrassed to say any more.

"If it's about Sasuke-kun…" Sai gazed at the cloudy sky. The entire blackness had nearly dissipated. The rain stopped, but was soon to return. Konoha needed something to douse the fires with. He turned to Naruto, who snored loudly, noticing Sakura's palm above his arm. "You look tired," he said, pushing her away.

"Eh? Wha—Sai-kun, what are you doing?!" Sakura yelled with full vigor, attracting the eyes of fellow shinobi, especially the (nosy) kunoichi's. She managed to stare them all down, before focusing on the dirt. At least the life returned to her eyes.

"Like this, right?" Sai asked, his palms glowing. Sakura stared, dumbfounded. It took her nearly two months to master that technique. And she was a medical ninja to be. With a huge storage of chakra. This wasn't fair.

"Yeah, I guess," she pouted. Sai didn't notice her discomfort.

"ANBU members are required to learn such simple medical jutsu," Sai stated. _Oh, well…if the ANBU are required to learn simple me—_

"SIMPLE?!" Sakura repeated, punching Sai in the head. "Do you know how long it took _me_ to master that?!" More stares from behind, lots of chuckling. "Shut up!" The kunoichi yelled. "Why are you all here anyway?! Go and kill some other Oto nin!" By this time, she was close to pulling out her own hair.

"Sakura-san…"

"WHAT?!?!" Sakura screamed at Sai, up on her feet. "Er…I mean…what. Is. It. Sai-kun?" She asked between gritted teeth.

"Well, you weren't concentrating properly, so for Naruto-kun's sake, I…"

"Get to the point."

He paused. "Maybe you want to go _somewhere else_ now?" He pointed toward another explosion. Did he want her killed or something? Yeah, that was probably it. Before Sakura was able to object, however, Sai spoke again. "Where _Sasuke-kun _is." He watched her eyes for any signs of happiness. Instead, she only glanced away, looking sadder.

"He wouldn't want me…"

"What do _you _want?" Sai asked. The information about friendship, love, and relations he read was finally being put to good use.

"What do _I_ want?" Sakura repeated dumbly. _I…_

-- --

"_Unfair_? You never cease to amaze me. First this sudden grow in strength, and now the development of morals. This must be the case…you lack…" Itachi paused. The whole thing about hate was a lie. He had been afraid of Sasuke, and the chance that a weakling might surpass him. Hate was only for the weaker human being. Sasuke had once been the weaker human, but now…

"_Nii-san_," Sasuke said, much to Itachi's surprise. "You're biggest mistake…was letting me live." The katana glowed, filled with immense power. Snakes appeared, coiled around his left arm. His skin changed color, from a pale white to a gray; his hair lengthened. Strange wings arose from his back. This was Itachi's first time to see this, the power of Orochimaru's curse mark. Sasuke had, unmistakably, surpassed Itachi.

He hadn't thought of this factor. Itachi only thought of Sasuke's Sharingan and nothing more. But this, Orochimaru's power _and_ the Sharingan, was a deadly combination. Rain fell, harder than ever before. Neither Itachi's nor Sasuke's katon would survive in such a downpour. But Sasuke's Chidori could.

"You're right," Itachi said, stepping forward. "It was a mistake." He stared at the sky. The time was sunset. Soon, all of Konoha would be engulfed with more darkness. He looked at Sasuke, in his final moments of life. There wasn't much to do.

"This is the end."

-- --

She fell in the mud, several times to be exact. No longer could she concentrate chakra on her feet. Her thoughts were on him, her mind was on him, her body longed for him. _Sasuke…kun_… She produced tears to match the rain. She wanted to see him _so_ badly that her body refused to move.

Even now, when happiness was a step away, she was sad. She would always be sad. She was nothing without him, while he would remain _something_ without her.

After moments that seemed like hours, Sakura stood again, her steps wavering. Love was always so painful. She walked unconsciously toward where the explosions occurred. The journey took forever, until she realized… The explosions, the chakra, the power…they were all gone. Sakura could no longer sense them. What did that mean?

The kunoichi ran forward again, blinded by her want and love for Sasuke. She couldn't see what was around her. And, in result, tripped. She fell over the object, which was warm. That was strange, since the rain was cold.

In darkness, Sakura groped for something to support herself. She jerked suddenly, wishing she hadn't touched _that. _Or _that, _or _that,_ or _that._ Something was…wrong. Terribly wrong. Her hands glowed with light as she came face to face with the problem.

"N…no…"

What lay before her was the body of her beloved, Uchiha Sasuke.

**To be continued…? (It will, don't mind the question mark.) **

**Oh joy! Another cliff!**

**On the next chapter: Is Sasuke dead? There's a lot of fluff, a lot of sadness, and happiness. And more rain (hence the title). **

**Until then,**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	20. Finale

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 20**

…Or was he?

She felt the side of his neck and his wrists.

Was that a pulse? Raindrops obscured her vision, her sense of touch, her thoughts… One question ran through her mind. _Why?_ But she didn't think, or rather, she couldn't bring herself to think. There were nightmares and memories saved just for an occasion such as this. Her significant brain brought such moments up just when she felt down.

Depression and sadness.

A glimmer of light and hope.

Death.

Her knees shook uncontrollably. Much to her surprise, her vocal cords weren't busted and destroyed, she _wasn't_ blind, and she could still feel. But she just couldn't stop shaking. And besides trembling, she couldn't move an inch. Why was that?

"Hey Sasuke-kun," she whispered, still kneeling beside the boy. "Wake up."

-- --

"She's been gone a while now, right?"

"Fifteen minutes," Ino sniffed. Naruto woke up, which really sucked. She, among many others, enjoyed the moments of peacefulness and pleasant discussions. Ever since Naruto was so abruptly awakened (by the explosion), there were constant questions about Sakura, Sasuke, and more Sakura.

Ino, being Ino, grew jealous. Sasuke obviously _loved _her, Sai was simply _infatuated_, and now Naruto! However, the aqua-eyed kunoichi never noticed where Naruto was looking, and that was at the Hyuga heiress.

"Only?" asked Naruto, as he continued to have eye-conversations with Hinata.

She blushed.

"Yes, _only_!" exclaimed Ino. "And I'm sure she's fine!"

"Really?" Naruto asked again—such persistence.

"Yes."

"Really, really?"

"Yes."

Naruto opened his mouth again, despite Shikamaru's inaudible warning. "Really, really, real—"

"YES!" Ino shrieked. Those nearby covered their ears. Shikamaru sent Naruto an 'I-told-you-so' look. "Just go and see for yourself!"

And that was exactly what he did. It was exactly what he wanted her to say.

-- --

The numbness faded. She could feel her legs again; she stopped trembling. Finally, Sakura gathered enough strength for Sasuke. She would give him her strength. In the past, she would have, undoubtedly, been flustered at the mere thought. Her strength was his. She was his.

And yet that was when she still _had_ Sasuke. She hadn't experienced loosing him. She wasn't ready to loose him again.

Her hands shook again, just when she needed them not to. Green chakra flickered between her fingertips. The pink-haired kunoichi was at her limit. If she pushed herself anymore…

An idea popped in her head. A crazy idea, but an idea nonetheless. And now was _not_ the time to be flustered.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered, leaning in closer, as she pressed her lips against his.

_I love you_.

Since her brain stored chakra, she could use those. And what was closer to the brain? The lips. Her lips. Sakura thought of this long ago, while traveling with Sasuke to find Itachi. Yeah, she remembered that. They were searching for Itachi, running from Orochimaru and Konoha, and she, as selfish as she was, thought she was capable of saving Sasuke. From everything; including himself.

How long ago was that? She remembered wanting to live in those moments forever—that one endless journey, trying to win his heart all over again—but at the same time, she wanted to move on.

This definitely wasn't what she thought of 'moving on,' but it was something. A small beginning.

"…Sakura?"

The voice awoke her from her thoughts. Like Sasuke, who had done so for who knows how long, pulled away. The darkness hid her immediate blush. Clumsily, she fell to his side. He gallantly caught her, as though nothing happened.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, half-teasing, a smirk upon his face.

No answer from Sakura.. It was weird to see Sasuke happy (or happy in his _own_ way). She liked him indifferent. But, since he was happy, Sasuke may have managed to…

"Did you—"

"I did," Sasuke accidentally interrupted.

Not so far off, a certain blonde squinted his cerulean eyes. He was skeptical of what he saw. Anyone would be, but especially him.

"Sa-Sasuke?" he asked.

The Uchiha glared at Naruto from where he was. His back faced the dobe. Two familiar slits tore through the garments. Bruises decorated his right arm. But Naruto, who knew however injured Sasuke might have looked, sensed he still had plenty of energy left.

"Are you playing dead or something?" Naruto asked, stupidly. If he could sense _that_ then why hadn't he sensed _another_ Sasuke roaming around?

"Where's Sakura?" Sasuke asked, dismissing the question, standing to his feet.

"So you _can_ stand!" yelled Naruto. He was asking for it. "Oh, I get it. You were playing dead for Sakura-chan, since you probably _sensed_ her coming and wanted her to cry on you or make out with you or something." A little exaggerated, but that was the plan.

"As if you're one to talk about _sensing_," retorted the raven-haired shinobi.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Ita—my _brother_ isn't dead. Yet," said the completely unharmed Sasuke.

_He's like a cockroach_, Naruto meant to say after a few moments of silence from the whole 'my brother' thing. He was unable to, however, due to…a scream.

"Sakura-chan!" "Sakura." Two voices said in unison.

-- --

"Hey, uh, Sasuke-kun, what are you—" Sakura started, upon seeing the Uchiha wield a katana, which was strange. She panted a bit due to her lack of chakra.

He swung the blade; Sakura survived by dodging swiftly.

"Sasuke-kun, why—"

Then, she saw it. In the midst of a puff of smoke shone a fierce red—the Mangekyo Sharingan. She entered a familiar world of misery.

"Itachi!" exclaimed Sasuke, who arrived at the scene moments after Sakura's possession and before Naruto. He stared at the nearly incapacitated man. Itachi _should_ have been killed by the final attack, but somehow was not. It was better he if he was. Sasuke noticed Naruto's staring too, though Naruto was clearly shocked by his brother's state.

One of Itachi's arms hung to the side by a piece of skin—it was nearly torn off. There was a huge hole in his leg; the Akatsuki uniform tore below the waist, revealing sweats. The smell of burst flesh emitted. He was as good as dead.

"Your brother's a freak," Naruto whispered to Sasuke. He was somehow a little _too_ lighthearted about the situation.

Sasuke smirked at the statement.

"Uzumaki Naruto," murmered Itachi. "It is my mission as a member of the Akatsuki to…capture you, or rather, the Kyuubi."

"You don't have enough strength to do so," stated the younger Uchiha. "Even if you threaten Sakura, you can't kill her."

Itachi glanced at the fallen kunoichi, who foamed at the mouth. "Oh yes, I seem to have forgotten."

_This isn't like Itachi_, Sasuke thought._ The Akatsuki means nothing to him. _

"Dammit! Just avenge your clan already!" Naruto exclaimed, breaking the silence. "You are an 'avenger,' aren't you?! If you don't do it, then I'll just do it myself!"

"How impatient," Sasuke heard his brother murmur. But Naruto was, for once, correct. What was he waiting for? Why was he hesitating?

"Heh, you're right," he said. With one simple move, a swing of Orochimaru's katana, it was all over. Off came Itachi's head.

**To Be Continued… **

**Disappointed? Relieved? I just had to add in another twist in the plot. At least we now Itachi's dead, right? Right?**

**Next Chapter: The Final Chapter. New beginnings. Sakura wakes up. No more rain. So happy, it'll make you puke.**

**The happy news: I'm writing a sequel (not really), which is why I've become a slow updater. More on that on the next chapter.**

**In the meantime, please read my new story _August_. It's funny. Please read it, it's sure to relieve you of your boredom. I'm serious, folks.**

**Read and Review (and read _August_!)**

_Shizuka-Ai calm::love_


	21. Rainy Days Never Stay

Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. _A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)_

_(Anything in italics is a thought or flashback)_

**Kiddies: Why aren't you reading **_**August**_**?! It's funny, and I KNOW you like funny. Oh, and I changed my penname. Sorry for the inconvenience. **

**Oh yeah. And a warning to you: this chapter contains **_**slight**_** hentai. **

**Rainy Days Never Stay **

**Chapter 21**

_With one simple move, a swing of the late Sannin's katana, off came Itachi's head._

Just like that, it was all over. Itachi was dead—Sasuke's goal, fulfilled. It had been a long battle, one worth the energy, with twists of all sorts. And somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love. He would never admit it, but he had, and his mind now. Yes, the indifferent and _final_ Uchiha had fallen for _her_.

"Sakura," Sasuke said in a daze, acknowledging her presence among the confusion.

"Huh?" Naruto asked. He turned to face Sasuke stumble toward her. _Funny_, he thought with a smirk. _Never thought I'd see Sasuke go after Sakura._ Naruto noticed his comrades coming closer, and the mist finally clearing.

"Sakura," he whispered, gentler than before.

The kunoichi was mumbled a bit, not in the usual coma of those affected by Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. It was unexpected; Sasuke was pleasantly surprised. He never would have guessed Sakura had it in her to even _survive_ such a technique.

"Mmm…" Sakura mumbled. She lay flat on the ground, one arm somewhat across her chest, the other in its rightful position. Her nose wrinkled, and, after another soft mumble, her eyes slowly started to open.

Meanwhile, many gathered near Naruto. In fact, _all_ gathered—there wasn't much to do with the war being over. They watched, half-spying—since Sasuke probably detected their presence—on the couple, waiting for an event along the lines of 'romantic' to occur.

Ino bit her lower lip as Sasuke leaned in _closer_ to Sakura's _face_. "Why?" she scoffed between gritted teeth. Sakura was a _loser_, in her eyes. Without Sasuke she was, well, she was nothing without him. "So why fall for someone who amounts to nothing?" she asked, hypothetically.

Shikamaru, who kneeled beside the pony-tailed blonde, saw to answering the question.

"To him, she's something."

"What?" Ino spat back, a little too loudly. She was hushed by those caught in watching Sasuke and Sakura's intimate moment unfold.

"Nothing," Shikamaru said with a sigh. He hated stating the obvious.

-- --

Sakura blinked at the blurred figure hovering over her. She blinked several times until the face came into focus. It was then when her eyes went in and out of focus. Bewildered, she blinked _more_ to confirm the sight. It _was_ him! He was alive!

"S-Sasuke!" She squeaked, causing Sasuke to…smile? What looked like a genuine smile crossed his lips. He couldn't help it. Well, it wasn't _really_ a smile compared to others. There still wasn't a hint of teeth. Looking back on his previous smiles, the smirks, the curling lips, this was probably the closest Sasuke would get to smiling like Naruto, or looking like Sai.

"Uh-umm…" Sakura said, suddenly disorientated. Not only had the indifferent Uchiha Sasuke just _smiled_, but her previous kiss with the fake Sasuke came to mind. He stumbled backwards.

"Wha…? What is she doing now?" asked Ino, having to say something about Sakura's every move. She was, of course, shushed instantly. It was a wonder, to Shikamaru, how Sasuke never minded and Sakura never heard.

If this is Sasuke, thought Sakura. …And the Mangekyo…Itachi…ACK! I kissed— 

A cool stare from Sasuke (who ceased smiling) returned Sakura to her senses. The kunoichi glanced back, with a familiar look in her eyes.

Sasuke smirked; he hadn't seen _that_ look since when, as it looked to him, Sakura hated him.

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Ah…"

"Hn."

The shinobi nearby developed those tear-like drops behind their heads. A few fell over from the embarrassment. Where was the intimate moment? The love? The—

"They're waiting," Sasuke said, averting his eyes. Pink came to his cheeks.

"Huh?" Sakura asked, confused. "Who's waiting?"

The raven-haired shinobi moved even _closer_ (if possible) to the emerald-eyed kunoichi. Now sitting up, Sakura blushed. Her eyes shut tightly as Sasuke took to stroking wisps of her pink hair away from her face, much like he did before. His left hand slipped into Sakura's—or was it hers slipping into his?

Sakura opened her eyes, only to close them once more after seeing how _close_ Sasuke was. How had he gotten so close, anyway? She held her breath after feeling his. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, this one moment of happiness. True, they had shared a kiss or two before, but those contained sadness.

And this alone wasn't _just_ a kiss. It was more—a new beginning.

Filled with lust, Sakura wrapped her unused arm around Sasuke. With his other hand, Sasuke held her face closer, their lips pressing tightly against each other's. Due to the kunoichi's strength, Sasuke toppled onto the ground, nearly pinning down Sakura.

"Oh my God," uttered Lee and Ino in unison. Their eyes (including Lee's _already_ enlarged eyes) dilated from watching the passionate entanglement of limbs.

"Steamy," someone commented.

"Whoa," said Naruto, having caught the fainted Hinata.

Sasuke's tender lips made their way to Sakura's neck. He pecked the area several times, while Sakura ran her fingers, stroking, the raven locks, kissing the top of his head once. She then went on to caressing Sasuke, bringing his head closer to her—

"ENOUGH!" Shrieked Ino, filled with jealously, and Naruto, happy as he had been, taken aback by his two teammates'…actions. These were the kids he knew since the Academy, his former crush and eternal-rival, after all.

The exclamation from the two blondes surprised the couple, causing the two to pull away from each other, blushing as hard as ever. Meanwhile the Konoha shinobi (and one Kazekage and his siblings) exhaled their held breaths. That was a little…too much?

"H-How long have you been there?!" Sakura yelled to no ninja in particular. She then recalled Sasuke's words, and turned her head in embarrassment. She saw just where they were located in Konoha, somewhere close to the gates and atop a hill.

The morning sun broke through the mist and black clouds of fire, illuminating what was left of the great Konohagakure. As a few 'Ohhhhhh'ed and 'Ahhhh'ed came from behind, Sasuke, who remained pretty unfazed considering the intercourse, sat beside Sakura.

"It's a SUNSET!" exclaimed Lee, with a great emphasis on the word, prancing around in a jovial circle. "A _youthful_ sunset!" But Neji and Tenten soon corrected him.

"Oi. Hinata," Naruto called to the fainted Hyuga heiress. Her eyes shot wide open upon hearing the distinct voice. "Everyone's watching the sunrise. It'd be a waste if you missed out," he said, grabbing hold of Hinata's hand, making sure she would not faint or stumble.

Sai watched Sakura lay her head on Sasuke's shoulder. He sighed. "Oh well," he said, ignoring Ino as she prattled on about how Sakura didn't deserve Sasuke and how (she winked while saying this), "You look _a lot_ like Sasuke-kun."

Sakura watched the sunset rise over the Hokage faces of Konoha. She smiled upon seeing Tsunade's engraved face. "Thank you," she whispered inaudibly.

-- --

"I'm a WHAT?!!" Naruto screamed in Tsunade's face; and after she broke the good news to him, in the presence of _all_ his comrades. Comical sitcom-like laughter arouse from the large crowd.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded him. She and Sasuke stood beside him, as representatives from the present original Team 7. "You should be more grateful!" She whacked the top of his head, nearly knocking him off the small, erected stage (and destroying the stage) with her inhuman strength.

"I—what?" Naruto asked, thankfully dodging the blow. "You didn't have to do _that_! Sasuke, teme! Help me!" He pleaded; knowing the only one capable of calming Sakura down was Sasuke.

"Hn. No way," Sasuke said, arms folded across his chest. "Loser," he added.

By this time, Naruto was nearly ripping the hair out of his head. Kakashi and Tsunade, watched, embarrassed. Kakashi sighed happily as Tsunade slapped her forehead. The three turned into an act in front of _all_ Konoha's citizens.

"Might as well," said Kakashi, patting the blonde boy's back. "Since I have rejected the offer."

"I never said I wouldn't!" Naruto snapped. Kakashi raised an amused eyebrow. Could it be that Naruto was acting this way because of Sasuke? He remembered how childish Naruto would get around Sasuke. It was possible. But it wasn't the entire case.

"You can't just wave my _dreams_ in front of me like that! It's not meant to be offered like that!" He paused. "Anyway, I need some time to think."

"You think?" Sasuke asked, though the insult was unheard by Naruto who was actually _thinking_. The Uchiha smirked.

"Fine," a more serious Naruto said. "I accept the position as Hokage. I'm aware of my young age, the Kyuubi living inside me, the threats that it may bring to Konoha, and that I will be in charge of the restoration after the war we just had…alliances, and so on…And," He thought of any more factors. "…And that I have never been a Jonin." Naruto scanned the eyes of Konoha's citizens for any objections or murmurs or whispers.

There were none. All were content on Uzumaki Naruto becoming the 6th Hokage.

"So uh…" he said, shifting uncomfortably under all the eyes. "Can I wear the hat now?"

Sakura nearly performed a face plant, but remained cool. Sasuke, however, uttered, "Dobe."

"Sure," Tsunade said, handing the traditional Hokage hat over to the boy. "And good luck."

-- --

"Naruto-kun, I'm so proud of you!" Sakura exclaimed, having taken the position of Naruto's mother. It was night, six days after the end of the war, and right after Naruto's Hokage ceremony. "I suppose there will be another festival tomorrow?"

"Yeah," the new Hokage said. "This time to celebrate _my_ becoming Hokage."

Sasuke mumbled. The word sounded a lot like 'dobe' and 'loser.'

"Watch your mouth!" Naruto yelled. "I'm the Hokage now!" He pointed to the oversized hat atop his head. "See?"

The Uchiha smirked.

The three soon came to a crossroads. Farther ahead was Sasuke and Sakura's apartment. They had, in the course of less than a week, moved in with each other. The only person that knew of this was Naruto, and by accident. To the left was the Hyuga complex, which was where Naruto spent a lot of his time these days.

"Well," Naruto said with a fox-like expression, scratching the back of his head. "I have to go and…meet the parents. I'll see you guys later!" He was off in a flash.

Sakura smiled. "Well, I guess we better—"

Sasuke, his hand still in hers, didn't move, causing Sakura to stop as well. She gazed at him with awe. Moonlight sparkled across his face. He was looking at something. Sakura followed his eyes until she saw the object as well.

"That's the…"

The bench, where Sasuke put Sakura to lie down three years ago, stood before the couple. Memories rushed back into their minds. Not only that, but they were standing in the same position as three years ago.

Letting go of his hand, Sakura strolled to the bench, sitting on it, glancing at the gates. Sasuke followed.

"Memories," Sakura sniffed, turning her head away.

"…Yeah," The Uchiha said after a while.

He faced Sakura. She faced him. Eyes locked, flashbacks of all sorts commenced within their minds.

"Sasuke-kun, I…" Sakura paused, only to be pulled in by Sasuke.

"Geez, all these two ever do is kiss," Naruto whispered, who, seated by Hinata, sat spying on the two (once more) behind the bench.

Sakura pulled away, noticing the whispering. But she didn't care. The war was over. Everything was fine. And Sasuke…She looked to the sky, the name echoing in her mind. And she noticed:

It wasn't raining.

**The End. **

**Yes, it's really the end. Thanks to you for reading (and if you reviewed). So, did ya like it? Was the ending too cheesy? Sasuke and Sakura have a lot of 'moments' within this chapter that a lot of you have wanted, but I never put in. So here it is…or was. **

**Anyway, the sequel! I'm not even sure if it'll be a sequel or just a more current version of the story (with the new manga characters). It could just end up being a story very similar to this one. Hmm, who knows? Look out for it.**

**This has been a very memorable first fanfic. I'm still shaking over it being over…I mean, wow. Read over those chapters and…w o w. The whole idea spurred from other Sasuke-returns-and-woos-Sakura fanfics, but I couldn't stand the way they (the writers) just put him...there, and after Sakura. It was inaccurate. Sasuke would never do such a thing. Stop over-fluffing him. And thus, Rainy Days Never Stay was born.**

**Thank you: Editor-san (who no longer edits), White Moonlight for introducing me to fanfiction, those of you who reviewed, put this story on your faves and/or alert list, those who read, that one chick who complained… I thank you. I'd hug you if not for the…erm, complications. **

**THANK YOU! I hope to see you again!**

**-_Taxi_ **


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